Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye
by Reianneliese
Summary: Forced to live in a world of lies, Fuji Syuusuke never chose to be a concubine. Like many of his fellow court princes, they were sold to become the playthings of the Emperor, Tezuka Kunimitsu. Yet, what he found in the Royal Palace was something entirely different, and Fuji might have to change his point of view on things, or lose his place beside his newly found beloved.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

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"Who do you prefer, your majesty?"

The Emperor of Japan looked down from where he was seated, eyebrows twitching. Ever since he had revealed that he prefered men over women – one that had shocked most of the people in his country – his court had been urging him to claim one of the candidates as his own.

Not even sending the concubines a second glance, Tezuka Kunimitsu said, "Oishi, how many times have I told you that I am not the least bit interested in starting a relationship with any of them right now?"

Oishi Syuichirou, his advisor – and personal worrywart – shook his head. "Please, your majesty. At least choose one of them to spend the night in your chambers. You do not have to do anything other than to talk with them, if you wish."

If he were the type to sigh, Tezuka would have. He gave the concubines in front of him a cursory glance, gauging their reactions.

There was a redhead that seemed to be totally and utterly bored, glancing to his left and right, as though looking for someone. When magenta eyes finally caught the teal ones of Niou Masaharu, one of the Generals under his army Commander, he grinned widely, not at all paying attention to the Emperor.

The one in the middle was a demure looking bluenette, whose head was bowed respectfully, although when he straightened up again, the sapphire orbs that pierced through him gave him a sort of respect for the bluenette. Perhaps he would speak with him sometime, but he knew that 'talking' came with consequences, and he felt that the bluenette would not be compatible with him, relationship wise.

The last one was a brunette, with sand coloured hair, and cerulean eyes that were similar yet entirely different to that of the blunette's standing beside him. Both had the ability to pierce through him, as though looking past him into his soul, the those of the blunette's had been cold and proud with a little arrogance, but those staring at him that very moment were mischevious and twinkling.

"Your majesty, your choice?"

Tezuka felt a mirgraine coming on, and thus, to save himself further pain, he gestured a hand towards the brunette standing at the right, before the servants whisked him away to his bedchambers, and the concubine to prepare for joining him that night.

Of course, ever watchful ruler that he was, he didn't miss the relieved sighs from Generals Yagyuu Hiroshi, Niou Masaharu, and Commander Sanada Genichirou.

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And that is the end of the prologue of my newest and first published Perfect Pair fanfiction, Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye. I hope you've enjoyed it, managed to guess who the other concubines were – if you didn't manage it, then you need to re-read the manga and re-watch the anime, alright? - and hopefully liked it enough to drop a review.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Swallow's Fear, Eagle's Try

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 1 – Swallow's Fear, Eagle's Try

Words: 1, 569

Chapter Rating: K+

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When Tezuka was brought back to his bedchambers, he was then ushered into the wooden tub in the adjoining room, and gently stripped of his clothing. Shaking his head at the offers to help bathe him, he washed himself thoroughly with the cold water before easing himself into the warm water.

The wooden door slid open to reveal three figures, one clad in a silk robe he knew was worn before taking a bath. He pressed his fingers to his temples and said, "I thought I've said that I do not require assistance for tonight?"

The two maids blushed at the sight of their half-naked and extremely good looking Emperor, but managed to clear their heads enough to reply. "Oishi-san requested that we bring him here, your majesty."

Oishi. Of course. Why didn't he even think of this possibility in the first place?

For once, he let himself sigh, sinking even deeper into the tub. Tilting his head to signal his consent, the maids brought the concubine in, slipped his robe off and bathed him until he was ready to enter the tub to bathe the Emperor. The slim brunette bowed to him and waited for permission to enter. Tezuka held out a hand to him, helping him into the tub, letting him sit beside him on the elevated seats built into the tub.

"Your majesty," The concubine started, "I've been set to help bathe you, and to be of any assistance that you require."

Tezuka shook his head, watching as the slightly soapy water splashed around him. He turned to the concubine, saw his serenely smiling face and sandy hair wet and dripping water, and played with the hand still in his, stroking it with his thumb. "What is your name, if I may ask?"

As though shocked that he was given the choice to reveal his name, the brunette's eyes slit open slightly, revealing the cerulean blue that had captivated Tezuka so much. "Fuji Syuusuke, your Majesty."

"Fuji," Tezuka started, "Will you answer me honestly when I ask: Do you wish to be here at this very moment?"

Fuji, truth be told, had no idea if this was a sort of test to see if he was suitable for the Emperor, but he decided to answer as truthfully as his ruler had requested. "No, your majesty."

A rare smirk made its way onto Tezuka's lips, but it was laced with a little sorrow and loneliness. "Of course you don't. No one wishes to be near me if they can help it."

Startled that he had somehow offended his Emperor, Fuji tried to cover his mistake. "I- Your majesty, please forgive me. I didn't know-"

Tezuka turned back to look at Fuji, his expression emotionless once more. Yet, seeing his concubine so distressed because of a single thing that he had said made him feel uneasy, and he brought their entwined hands up to his lips, gently ensuring him that he had done nothing wrong.

Fuji looked up at his Emperor's face, and his eyes softened slightly. He gave Tezuka a smile, before taking a washcloth and saying, "May I help to bathe you, your majesty?"

He was about to say no, because really, the only person that had ever bathed him was the Empress Dowager, Tezuka Ayana, back when he was still a child and smiled a lot more than he did now, but he couldn't help but relent when Fuji looked at him with so much hope written upon his face.

A nod, and Fuji grinned happily, lathering up the washcloth with soap and using it to rub Tezuka's back, cleaning him of the dirt and sweat that had piled up throughout the day. He frowned when he felt the tense muscles of Tezuka's back, using his fingers to knead at the knots and earning a moan of pleasureful pain from his Emperor. Gasping in shock, he quickly asked for forgiveness, but was waved off when he was asked to continue the massage.

"Your back is so tense, your Majesty. It must be extremely stressful, having the weight of the entire country of your shoulders," Fuji said as he pressed his thumbs into a particularly tight knot of muscles in Tezuka's upper back.

Tezuka kept silent, and even though he felt strange at having Fuji at such close proximity when he usually hated people invading his personal space. Yet, his muscles really hurt a lot, and Fuji's fingers were doing wonders for the ache between his shoulderblades, and he really couldn't complain when he felt the stress melting off of him that moment.

When he felt Fuji's fingers dip lower, however, he took a hold of them, and turned back to his concubine, requesting that he proceed with bathing him once more. The brunette looked a little surprised, before his expression slipped back into a smile and he finished bathing his Emperor.

Tezuka stood up and, minding his own nakedness, took a towel and wrapped it around his lower body, before holding out a hand to help Fuji out of the tub the way that he had helped him into it. Smiling happily, Fuji took it, and led Tezuka to the pail of warm water so that he may rinse off any soapy water for him.

He poured the water onto his Emperor's head, laughing cheekily when Tezuka sputtered, and using a towel to dry him off, helping him into his sleeping robes when they were done.

Fuji waited until Tezuka had walked towards his bed and sat on it, before bowing and preparing to leave, but Tezuka's voice stopped him before he could.

"Where are you going?"

Turning around, Fuji blushingly replied, "I- I would have thought that your majesty would prefer to sleep alone."

"I do," Tezuka said, standing up and walking towards Fuji. "However, tonight, I would like to request your prescence beside me as I sleep. Would you, Fuji?"

Gaping, Fuji gave a bright smile and nodded, "Of course, your majesty!"

Leading Fuji back to his bed, which was, really, large enough to accomodate at least three people very comfortably, he sat down, bringing the petite brunette with him. "Are you tired, Fuji?"

The concubine shook his head delicately, silky strands of hair following the movement of his head. "No, your majesty. Not yet."

Tezuka looked down at his concubine, then grumbled low in his chest as a yawn made its way out of his mouth. Fuji, who had noticed this, looked up and gave a small giggle. "It seems that you are, your majesty. Here," he said, laying Tezuka down, "Go to sleep, your majesty."

Hazel eyes continued to stare at Fuji, and said concubine blushed under his Emperor's intense gaze, as though commanding that he lie down as well. Humbly, he scooted under the covers, draping them across the both of them.

Outside, lightning flashed.

"Ah!"

Jolted out of his bath-induced daze, Tezuka came back to reality only to see Fuji shivering underneath the covers, his body no visible with how he had curled and entangled himself in them. He blinked as lightning flashed once more, and thunder rumbled in the distance before rain started to pelt down.

"Seiichi..." Fuji muttered, "Seiichi..."

Tezuka ducked beneath the blankets, finding Fuji curled up into a fetus-like position, hands trembling and tears leaking from his eyes. He reached out a hand to touch Fuji's shoulder, the the brunette's face shot up, surprised to see his Emperor staring at him. "Y-Your majesty..."

Staring down at Fuji, Tezuka recalled how some of his younger brothers – children of his father's concubines – had been afraid of the storms, and how his mother, gentle Empress that she was, would go around and soothe them slowly while he watched from afar, slightly jealous that she was paying attention to them and not him.

Slowly, he gathered Fuji into his arms, much like how his mother had done to so many children – children that were her husband's and not her own, and to this day Tezuka still couldn't comprehend how large and compassionate his mother's heart was – and pressed the brunette close to his chest, running a soothing hand up and down his back.

"Are you afraid of storms, Fuji?"

Receiving a small nod, Tezuka continued his ministrations, threading a hand through Fuji's hair, marvelling silently at how smooth it was, and began humming a tune that his mother used to hum to him, back when he was still a child.

Slowly, with the warmth of his Emperor, the hand on his back and the music in his ears, Fuji calmed down, and his shudders were reduced to mere trembles, and then to nothing. He stopped shaking, looking up tearfully at Tezuka and gave him a watery smile, thanking him.

Tezuka said nothing, merely brushed the pad of his thumb against Fuji's cheekbones, and held him slightly closer. Fuji hesitated before he uncurled his fingers, and reached out to wrap them around his Emperor, burying his face in his chest and inhaling his scent deeply. Running a gentle hand through his hair, Tezuka murmured, "Sleep, Fuji."

"Goodnight, your majesty," Fuji replied sleepily, tired from his fear and tears.

Pausing, Tezuka tightened his arms around Fuji, "Goodnight."

* * *

And there's the first official chapter of Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye. I'd really like to know what you guys thought of it, so if you've read this, please do write a review. Even just a little message saying how much it sucked means a lot to me, because then I'll remember that I still have to improve.

Also, Tezuka might seem a little out of character here, to some people. However, with the research that I have done, most Chinese, Korean and Japanese Emperors that have taken concubines mostly treat them very well, gently, and as though they were their own wives, with is, in a sense, true. Thus, Tezuka must also realise that in his position, he must treat all of his concubines well, and not neglect them in any sense.

Every female in the Royal Palace, regardless of whether you are a common maid, a cook, or even the servants that reside within the Palace, belongs to the Emperor. Females that enter the Palace are not allowed to leave unless they are dead. Any attempt to start a relationship with a male, whether in or outside of the Palace is a crime punishable by death. All females may only be treated by a physician of the same gender, and male physicians are not allowed to touch any of the Emperor's women.

In this story, I have tweaked the conditions slightly, as most of the concubines are males, just flip all the genders over. =]]


	3. Swallow's Smile, Eagle's Blush

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 2 – Swallow's Smile, Eagle's Blush

Words: 3,470

Chapter Rating: K+

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"You slept with the Emperor?!" Voices shouted in surprise.

Fuji shook his head, blushing lightly. "No, not in that way, Seiichi. I slept with him, yes, but in the most innocent sense of the word itself."

Disappointed, Yukimura puffed out his cheeks and pouted, making him look like a hamster. An adorable blue haired hamster, but a hamster nonetheless. "But why? It was such a good chance, and you would have been able to be Empress, and then you'd dote on me the most, because I'm your best friend, right?" He teased, drawing out the last word in a sing-song voice and making Fuji blush again.

"Seiichi!"

"Hey, Syuusuke's _my _best friend! He's my Fujiko, nya!" Eiji stuck out his tongue at Yukimura and looped an arm around the brunette's neck.

Marui chuckled, munching on a cookie, "Nah, I'm pretty sure he likes me best, don't you, Syuusuke?"

Surrounded by his fellow concubines, Fuji stumbled back as they all converged around him, eager to hear his response, holding his hands up to try and placate them all, but they wouldn't let the matter rest, instead tackling him onto the bed behind him and tickling him mercilessly.

"S-Stop!" Fuji laughed, trying to fight them off, but it was one against three, and he couldn't do much except lie where he was and curl up into a ball so they couldn't get to his sensitive spots.

Eiji giggled, "Attack, nya! Uncurl him, uncurl him!" Together, Marui and Eiji managed to pin down one of Fuji's hands each, and sit on his calves so that he couldn't kick them, leaving him spread eagle on the bed. Yukimura then plopped himself down on his thighs, and leaned down to poke his fingers at Fuji's sides, the brunette writhing and panting with laughter.

"S-Stop!" Fuji laughed, spasming under his friend's tickles. "Seiichi, please, stop! I can't- your majesty!"

Yukimura grinned widely, "His majesty can't save you now, Syuusuke!" He continued his attacks on Fuji, stopping only when Marui and Eiji gasped and pulled him off of Fuji. He blinked, confused, before he turned his back to the open door and realised that said Emperor was standing outside the room.

"Your majesty!" The four concubines stared wide eyed at the Emperor, especially Yukimura. He, who had said it out of the spur of the moment, was extremely afraid of what the Emperor would do to him. Obviously, he knew that his majesty was a logical and rational man, but the fact that he had taken Fuji to his bed the previous night still stood, and if the Emperor really had taken a huge liking to the brunette, then it was quite possible that he would punish Yukimura, even if they had only been playing.

Coming to their senses, the four of them immediately bowed low, their eyes cast downwards. The Emperor regarded them silently, then walked towards them slowly and spoke, "You may rise."

"Thank you, your majesty," they chorused, before they rose and stood demurely before the Emperor. Sensing their discomfort, Tezuka closed the wooden door behind him – truth be told, this was the first time that he had come to this part of his Palace, and surveyed the room.

There were four beds in different parts of the room, and the place seemed like a small house of some kind, with a table for eating, a small cooking area in a corner, and another closed door that he presumed led to the bathroom. There was also a small sitting area, with comfortable looking chairs that were arranged in a small semicircle – to make conversation easier, maybe. Small chests were placed next to each bed, containing their clothes, perhaps, and there were small items lying around that personalized the room, such as a scented candle on the main table, packets of snacks he supposed were for them to share, and a small ivory comb on one of the chests.

Sighing, Tezuka removed the small crown upon his head and placed it on the table. He never knew how many concubines he had, but three of the current four had been present the previous night. He walked to the sitting area, sitting on the largest, which he deemed enough for five.

"Fuji," Tezuka spoke, glancing at the concubine who had accompanied him yesterday. "Come here. The rest of you, as well."

Hesitating at first, but then walking towards his Emperor, Fuji sat down next to him, hands folded in his lap. Tezuka took hold of one of his hands, and like the night before, brought it up to his lips in a comforting gesture. Fuji looked up questioningly, and smiled in relief.

"Your majesty."

Tezuka turned to look at the speaker, and was inwardly surprised when he saw the blunette on the floor, kneeling at his feet.

"Your majesty, I apologize for how rude I had been when you were first standing outside the door. I did not-"

"Rise."

"Your majesty-"

"Rise, I said."

Yukimura did as he was told, rising to his feet and standing together with the two other redheads. They seemed uncomfortable in the Emperor's presence, unlike Fuji.

Tezuka turned to look at the three of them, then as gently as he could, asked them for their names in the same way that he had asked for Fuji's the previous night – by giving them the choice whether or not to reveal it.

"Yukimura Seiichi."

"Kikumaru Eiji."

"Marui Bunta."

He held out his hand towards the one closest to him – Yukimura – and led him to sit on his unoccupied right, and requested that the other two sit next to both Fuji and Yukimura, but they shook their heads. Marui spoke up first, when he saw his Emperor's left eyebrow arch upwards at their refusal. "No, your majesty. It is of the utmost importance that we are able to serve you as quickly as possible. By sitting by their sides, we will be unable to serve you. This is the way that we were trained to be your concubines."

Eiji nodded, continuing, "Please, your majesty. We would be willing to sit by your feet, if that would be alright with you. With a cushion or two, we wouldn't be uncomfortable at all, nya."

Tezuka looked at them, and saw rebellious magenta eyes while midnight blue eyes looked at him with determination, and sighed, consenting.

They both grinned at each other, high fived, and dashed to the other chairs to retrieve their cushions, and plopped down on the ground next to the Emperor, Marui on Yukimura's side, and Eiji on Fuji's, leaning their heads against their friends' knees and looking up at the Emperor.

"..."

"Your majesty?"

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"I feel like I'm in a harem."

Whatever reaction he had been expecting, Fuji thought, his Emperor probably wasn't expecting all four concubines to burst out laughing at his statement. Adorably confused by why they were laughing, Fuji informed him. "Your majesty, we're your concubines. This _is _your harem."

Tezuka blinked, and promptly blushed.

"Whoa!" Eiji burst out, "His majesty is blushing! We have to record this down!"

"Eiji," Fuji reprimanded, tugging lightly on his hair. "Don't do that to his majesty."

"H-Hai..." Eiji pouted, covering his head with his hands so that Fuji couldn't pull on his hair a second time. "Fujiko's a meanie, nya!"

Fuji chuckled, leaning down to tug at an uncovered strand of Eiji's hair, yelping when the redhead pulled him off the couch and onto the ground, tackling him and mock punching him.

"Eiji!" Fuji laughed, trying to get out from underneath his friend. "Eiji, stop it!"

Tezuka stayed silent as he watched them have their mock fight. Even when he was a child, he had never had the chance to partake in something like that, due to his responsibilities as the crown prince. His father had taken consorts, of course, but his mother had been the previous Emperor's priority, and it wasn't much of a surprise when he had been declared Crown Prince the moment he was born.

There hadn't been any objections, to that.

"Do the four of you do this often?"

Yukimura turned to his Emperor, blinking in confusion, but understood when he saw how intently the brunette was staring at the two wrestling on the ground. "Ah, yes. The four of us like to tease each other, and most of the time we end up like that, your majesty."

"Is it... Fun?"

"Very," Marui piped up, then grinned wickedly. "Would you like to try, your majesty?"

Tezuka shook his head. "Next time, perhaps."

Marui continued to grin, leaning back against Seiichi's legs. "I'll hold you to that."

Fuji was just getting the upper hand on Eiji, when Tezuka's hand reached out to brush against the top of his head, and he looked up, cerulean eyes opening in question. The Emperor tilted his head, and Fuji nodded, sitting back up on the couch again and helping Eiji rearrange the cushions.

"The reason I've come here, today," Tezuka spoke, eyes glancing at the four of them, "Is that I am going out to the capital city, today, along with three members from my army, and my advisor, to make sure that everything is alright, and that there are no threats to the country. However, what displeases me, is that in the red light district," Tezuka grit his teeth, "The owners always try to get my men and I into their brothels, and none of us like it."

Tezuka cast an eye to the four concubines sitting by his side. "We would like you to accompany us as consorts for each member, so as to not arouse so much suspicion and objection when we refuse."

They all nodded, understanding the need for them to be present. "We will need some time to prepare, your majesty."

At this, the Emperor stood, inclining his head. "Very well. We will be leaving in an hour. When ready, meet us in the West Wing of the palace, and then we will depart."

"Yes, your majesty."

And the Emperor left.

Eiji whistled, lowly, when their ruler was out of sight and hearing range. "That was scary. Why'd you think the Emperor chose us, nya?"

"Because of Fuji, obviously," Marui stated, then went to his chest and drew out a yukata, scanning it before placing it back in a drawing another one out. "Fuji's the only one he knows out of all of us, obviously he'd choose him. I wonder who we're accompanying."

Yukimura nodded, and the other three went to their respective chests as well, picking out their own yukatas and small accessories to go with their outfits. Really, they didn't have much – they didn't think they would need it, since their Emperor didn't want to bring them out at all when they first met him, three years ago – but they made do.

Half an hour later, the four made their way to the West Wing, and upon arrival, met their supposed partners.

Fuji was the Emperor's, to nobody's surprise, and the imperial clothing, for once, had been shed. Instead, said ruler was wearing a black yukata, embroided with two gold dragons across his chest, and was seemingly plain from chest down, but if one looked closely, there were actually miniscule designs inked onto the cloth, creating an intricate pattern; complex, yet beautiful. The gold thread brought out the hazel in the Emperor's eyes, making his gaze seem more intense than usual.

Fuji donned a sky blue yukata, one that made him seem younger than he really was, and brought out the highlights in his hair, especially when the sun shone on it. The cotton itself was plain, since he couldn't afford any expensive materials, but the little details, such as the blue accents at the sleeves made the yukata more delicate that it actually was. Tezuka had a sudden urge to protect the slighter male, and it made him second questions the decision to use Fuji.

To Yukimura's slight horror, the one he was supposed to escort, was Commander Sanada Genichirou. The Commander wore a dark blue, almost bordering on black yukata. Very much like his stoic personality, the yukata was plain, and there were no designs save for the slightly lighter blue of his obi. Yet, Yukimura couldn't help but stare in total and utter wonder at the man before his eyes.

Unknown to his knowledge, Sanada was also very much in awe of the way the blue haired man looked in his white yukata. Pure white, and rather blinding at the current moment as the sun was shining mercilessly down on them. There were sky blue sakura petals adorning the sleeves and the end of the yukata. The obi was the same colour as the sakura petals, and Sanada had to look away lest he did something that would cost him his life.

As for Marui, well, the redhead was perfectly fine with his escorts, Generals Yagyuu Hiroshi and Niou Masaharu. Said generals were wearing plain yukatas of different colours – Niou had a blue one with intersecting lines at the end of it as the accent, which was white in colour, and Yagyuu was wearing a pale beige one – pale enough that if you didn't look closely enough it'd been white instead of pale beige.

Niou whistled appreciatively at Marui, but before the sound could even pass his mouth, Yagyuu had covered it with his hand to save him from being executed for looking at one of the Emperor's concubines in such a suggestive way. The maroon yukata had silver bamboo shoots coming up from the bottom of it, all the way up to the small of his back, when the shoots thinned out and ended. If you looked closely, inked in almost transparent silver ink was a small bird, sitting itself on the highest bamboo shoot.

Oishi, the Emperor's advisor, was wearing a black yukata made of cotton and silk – he had a higher pay, after all – and it had a checkered white obi. On first look, it seemed plain, but if closely looked at, the collar was of an intricate design, as were the ends of the sleeves, slightly different from the others and obviously customized by the wearer himself, thus proving the rumours that the advisor was plain wrong.

Eiji, the catlike concubine, was wearing a pale green yukata, with a small cat embedded on the back of the obi, which was a darker, more intense green compared to his yukata. Spreading out from the back of the obi was a spiral of green, spreading out across his back and ending at his shoulders, where they thinned off and became rather like the end of a vine, but much thinner, and much sharper. Eiji looked up at the advisor and grinned happily.

"We may proceed now, your majesty."

Tezuka nodded, and both he and Fuji was helped into a carriage, sitting side by side. On Tezuka's side, he let the cloth down, so he would not have to deal with too much commotion, but Fuji did not. He had not been out of the palace very often since he had been sold as a court prince, and he wished to know how much had changed outside of the palace, and whether or not they still sold some of his favourite food.

"To the East side of the capital, first, your majesty?"

"Hn."

Then the carriage started to move, and Fuji jerked forward at the sudden movement – he had not been expecting the carriage to lurch forward so abruptly – but Tezuka caught him by the waist and brought him to sit back down on the cushioned seats, staring down at him as though to make sure that he was fine and had not been injured. Fuji's ever present smile widened, and he nodded to assure the Emperor.

Fuji glanced outside, the moment the gates opened and they were out of the Royal Palace, but in the capital of Japan. He saw his friends, seated in front of their escorts and pressed rather closely to the rider of the horse, gallop past him, but some drew back, creating a sort of circle around the carriage the Emperor resided in.

Yukimura and the Commander was the first that he saw, his friend's face turned around and hidden in the Commander's chest, and it was only with a slight gasp that he remembered that his feminine friend was afraid of being on fast moving things – horses included. The Emperor gave a questioning glance at the strange pose, and thus Fuji explained. Tezuka frowned, "Then we should have allowed him to sit here as well. On the way back, we'll do that. I will apologize to Yukimura, after this."

"Yes, your majesty."

The advisor came next, with a whooping redhead seated in front of him as he encouraged and cheered the black haired male to get his horse to gallop faster, who explained to him that it was impossible, for they had to stay at roughly the same speed as the Emperor, thus this was the fastest that he could go. The catlike male pouted for a moment before returning to his cheerful whooping as the wind started to run through his hair.

And then Marui was there, who was in front of General Yagyuu, and rather keeping his friend placated. Normally, Marui would have been rather like Eiji, happy and excited – he had revealed that he had never been on a horse before – but he supposed that was a good thing. If he had been in front of General Niou, on the other hand, hell might have broken loose. Although he did not know said General personally, many stories of his personality had been spread around the palace, even to where the concubines lived.

Fuji grinned widely, sticking his head out of the window and letting the wind carress his face and mess up his hair. He waved to some of the people who were waving to him, dressed in pretty yukatas with a bow on the back – females. Then he realised his position and immediately sat back down, mortified at what he had done.

Tezuka, upon seeing this, chuckled. The brunette was adorably cute when he lost himself, and forgot whose presence he was in, but he didn't mind in the least. It was a change of pace in his otherwise monotonous life, and Tezuka could see himself enjoying Fuji's company in future.

Just like he could see some other things with his other concubines, but that was something that he would deal with when more evidence presented itself.

To calm him, Tezuka wrapped an arm around his waist – much like the way that he had done when he was catching the brunette before he landed flat on his face – and brought him closer, tucking the brunette's head under his chin and placing on kiss on the top of his head. He noticed, as he was doing this, that the slighter male smelled like apples, and smiled slightly in appreciation.

Fuji blinked, wide eyed, into the Emperor's chest. At first he was stiff, but when he felt lips descend on his head, he relaxed, and was brave enough to snake a hand to the Emperor's unoccupied hand and interlace their fingers. He smiled, happily, when he felt the Emperor's hand tighten around his own, and leaned further into his warmth.

Sooner than he would have liked, he really was quite comfortable like this, the carriage came to a stop, and Oishi's voice made its way through the open window.

"We've arrived, your majesty."

Tezuka gently eased the brunette away from him, and replied, "Yes. Give me a few moments."

"Of course."

He leaned over to release the cloth, and covered the window on Fuji's side of the carriage. Staring down at the now blushing concubine, he slowly leaned down to press a chaste kiss onto his lips. He felt how the other inhaled sharply through his nose, and backed away, brushing the pad of his thumb against his cheekbones.

"Shall we go, Fuji?"

Fuji blushed even harder, now, and nodded. "Yes, your majesty."

Tezuka opened the door, and made his way out, before, like always, holding out his hand to help Fuji off. This time, however, he kept their fingers interlaced, instead of letting go.

* * *

First of all, I apologize for not revealing the true concubines that were mentioned. They were Marui, Yukimura and Fuji. I realised many people thought the redhead was Eiji, so I might need to go correct that a little, but I thought that the subtle connection between him, Niou and Yagyuu would reveal it was Marui instead.

Also! This is, honestly, the longest I have ever written for a single chapter. For _any _story at all. In all the fandoms that I've been in. This fic is also the one that I have received the most support, so thank you to all of you! And I'll be replying to your reviews down below, since I don't like to clog the top of the fic with replies to reviews. Again, I apologize for not having replied to them.

Oh, and if you've reviewed for both the prologue and chapter 1, _I love you so much._ But, uhm, main point. If you've reviewed for both, I'll reply to the latest one, unless you have a question, which I don't think there's any.

Reviews for the prologue:

Bishie82 – Thank you so much for your review, and I'm glad you like stories like this. I actually got the setting from a Prince of Tennis challenge I saw some time ago, but unfortunately no one completed that challenge. It got me thinking, and instead of wishing that someone would write it, I decided to. Good luck to you as well! -grins-

Guest – Ah, Marui's the correct answer, but good job on guessing Yukimura!

Reviews for chapter 1:

Fujiyuki – He is, isn't he? He's going to get sweeter, as he falls more into Fuji. Tezuka's going to be in lovelove~ But not yet. -grins-

AelitaOfTheWolves – Thank you so much! I'll continue writing!

Starry Night – Ah, yes. A little over a thousand words or so were the norm for me when updating a multi-chaptered fic. Or even a oneshot – you'll notice if you look through my profile – actually. But I tried to make this a little longer, according to your request, and this is the length I managed. I'm pretty proud of myself, actually. LOLS. Yes, TeFu is _adorable._ I wish more people would write them. Or even just normal pairings. It kind of irks me that most of the stories being updated or submitted nowadays are character x OCs. Maybe it's just me. - shrugs-

shinjuku041 – It is? I thought people would think that he was a little OOC, but I'm glad you like this Tezuka. It's a little monotonous, though in character, to see Tezuka treating everyone coldly. But he's the Emperor, here, so he can't be! -sniggles- Ah, Fuji was calling Yukimura's name because that's who normally comforts him – and lets him sleep in his bed – when there's a thunderstorm. He was afraid, and Yukimura wasn't around, so he had to resort to crying out for him. But then Tezuka saved the day. -insert giant smiley face here-

Anye – No, they're not together. -laughs- Although that would be a destructive relationship. If anyone would write it, I'd like to read it. A lot. -hinthint- Yes, there will be Alpha, slight Platinum, though more of Yagyuu x Niou x Marui – yes, a threesome – than Platinum. Fuji's always charming, as usual~

supremekikay241 – Yes, and that's not an exaggeration. One Emperor – of China, I think – had 121 consorts, so he would only see each one for 3 days in a year. I think he planned for that, because it was stated that 121 was the most accurate number that, when multiplied by 3 and rounded off, would come the closest to 365. Of course he only wants Fuji, but he has to have an heir, so he'll need to take an Empress. Or he could make Fuji his Empress and take consorts! But I'm not telling anything~ -wicked grin-

OniGiriDreamOtaku – Thank you so much! Of course I'll continue to write more, and to the best of my ability! -grins widely-

And for those who didn't review, but favourited and followed, thank you so much as well. Although... Pretty please leave a review? Thank you!


	4. Swallow's Request, Eagle's Rage

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 3 – Swallow's Request, Eagle's Rage

Words: 4,100

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

"_Do whatever it takes to stop them from pulling you into the brothel forcefully, except harming them," Tezuka said sternly. "Treat the concubines as though they were your consorts, and care for them. Understood?"_

"_Yes, your majesty."_

"_Good. I hope that this will not inconvenience any of you," Tezuka frowned at the concubines as well as his escort party._

"_No, your majesty. It is our duty to serve you."_

_Tezuka nodded, and they went on their way._

* * *

"Welcome to the red light district, your majesty!"

"Oh, Commander, why don't you come in?"

"Generals! We'd be glad to provide you with our finest ladies!"

"Ah, advisor! Do come in!"

The invitations flooded again and again, even though they, technically, weren't at the red light district as of yet. Having toured the area and making sure that all the people were happy and content, received complaints here and there and promising to resolve them as soon as they could, the Emperor's party were on their way to the final destination – the hated red light district.

When they finally stepped foot into said alley, all the escorts immediately did their job by standing much closer to their charge – though they were already rather close in the first place. The prostitutes, who had the bows of their yukata tied at the front instead of at the back, and brothel owners frowned a little at the sight, but that didn't stop them from continuing to invite them.

They stopped pestering Generals Yagyuu and Niou first, basically because it was already quite a well known fact that the two Generals were in a relationship, but that didn't stop some of them – the Emperor knew, of course, but as long as they didn't make a show of themselves, he allowed them their relationship – and they continued to pull and tug at the sleeves of the Generals.

Niou chuckled and flirted with some of them, causing them to squeal and try to pull him in, but Yagyuu pulled him back with a firm hand and a frown on his face. Marui pouted up at him, magenta eyes staring at him with a petulant glint, and Niou conceded, putting on a show for them and dragging the redhead up for a kiss so fierce that many of the prostitutes were left breathless and panting. Not to be left out, a widely grinning Marui pulled Yagyuu's head down and did the same with him, tongues clashing and lips smashing, until all the prostitutes gave up and left them to their own devices. Truimphant, Marui laughed gleefully, the Generals' eyes lighting up.

Advisor Oishi was next, mainly due to the fact that Eiji was extremely hyper and kept jumping on him from behind, hooking his once yukata clad legs around the advisor's mid drift and almost sending him reeling from how much he was blushing. Oishi spun round to try and get the young concubine off of him, but somehow Eiji managed to bury his face into the advisor's neck and stay there, murmuring nonsensical words but still somehow managing to show affection through it. Oishi sighed and smiled, expression softening, hand raising up to thread through the redhead's hair.

Tezuka watched this, and with one hand tried to stop the oncoming crowd of females from suffocating both him and Fuji. He looked down at the brunette, who was smiling his usual close eyed smile, until he saw a flash of lightning in the distance and the thunder rumbled overhead. Fuji jumped, shrieking slightly and opened his eyes in shock, leaping into the Emperor's arms like a small child, shaking and hands fisted in the yukata. Tezuka, upon seeing this, softened, and instead of trying to push the females away, drew the slighter brunette into his arms, cuddling him and stroking his hair, his back to calm him down.

He pressed his lips to the top of Fuji's head, muttering words of comfort into his ears and running a soothing hand up and down his back, trying to stop the oncoming storm from totally and utterly scaring his young escort. The shaking intensified when another boom of thunder echoed from the mountains to the south, and a small cry, together with a few tears were emitted. Tezuka stiffened, then immediately ordered the party to get to the closest inn when he felt the first few drops of rain fall into his head.

Commander Sanada, who was already half dragged into the brothel that he was standing the closest to, and Yukimura, who was blushing and fidgeting, as though debating whether or not to save said Commander, was standing outside the entrance, biting his lip worriedly. He was torn, half to go to Fuji, and half to save Commander Sanada. When he finally saw that his Emperor had his friend under control – or as controlled as Fuji could be when it came to thunderstorms like these, which were very frequent in the summer – he made up his mind and half ran to the Commander, shooting him an apologetic look. He made his way to the center of the group of girls, almost fighting his way through, before raising his voice so that it would be louder than the tittering of the prostitutes, "Please, Sanada-san, we have to leave already. His majesty requests as such, and..." He trailed off, lowering his eyes demurely, "You're not thinking of leaving me, are you?"

Sanada froze, then sighed silently, gently but firmly breaking free of the prostitutes' grip, and cupping Yukimura's cheek, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to tantalizing lips. The females surrounding them gasped at the affection displayed from the stoic Commander, and Sanada whispered, "Why would I? Come, the Emperor's request must be tended to." Yukimura nodded, and followed the Commander, staying at his side.

Oishi found an inn, whose innkeeper was one of his close friends, Kawamura Takashi. They were welcomed with hot tea and a plate of sushi each as the rain begun to pour outside, and Fuji trembled even as he slowly ate his plate of wasabi-zushi. Tezuka leaned closer to him, pulling him closer to try and placate the younger boy, and received a grateful smile in response. "Thank you, your majesty."

Meanwhile, Eiji was eyeing Fuji's plate as though its contents would explode, and proceeded to complain that 'Fujiko had the weirdest tastebuds he'd ever seen, and didn't advisor Oishi agree with him, nya?' while the man in question nodded and agreed, if only to calm the redhead down.

The rain continued on, even into the evening, until the Emperor shook his head and suggested that they stayed the night, since there was no way he was letting them ride through the rain back to the castle, despite his escort party saying that they could – he had no intention of letting them fall ill under his watch – and stood up to pay what he had to for four rooms for the night to the sushi chef, who stammered when quoting the price and blushing bright red, led them all to their rooms.

"Your majesty," Fuji spoke up once they were in the privacy of their own room. It had two single beds, and Fuji was still shaking, jumping whenever thunder rumbled outside. "If I may be so bold-"

Tezuka strode over to Fuji and picked him up, laying him down on one of the single beds, then pushed the other bed so that they joined and removed his own yukata. He normally didn't sleep while unclothed, but he'd rather sleep in just his undergarments than to sleep in the yukata that he'd worn for the entire day. Lifting the covers, he settled himself down and inclined his head.

Fuji's cheeks flushed a vibrant shade of red, and, removing his own yukata, crawled his way into the covers to lay beside the Emperor. He was touched, really, that the Emperor had noticed that he wished to sleep together for he really didn't want to be affected by the storm outside, one that he was desperately trying to forget, and the Emperor was extremely warm and comfortable, especially when he cuddled up to his chest.

_'What are you thinking, Syuusuke?' _He asked himself._ 'Stop that! That's not something that you should be thinking about a man like this! Have you forgotten what you promised yourself?'_

Snuffling cutely, he ignored the voice of reason in his head and curled even closer to the Emperor, who was kind and warm and unlike the image that he had in his head. He hadn't expected the Emperor to be like this, so accepting of someone whose entire existence was now only for his pleasure, whether or not he be used. He had been afraid, when he had been presented in front of the majestic royal, but now, now that he had gotten to know him better, he really didn't want to leave the Emperor's side at all.

_'You'll regret becoming so close to him,' _The voice in his mind said, _'When you have to do what you need to, you'll regret doing this.'_

Tezuka noticed the fidgeting of the young male, and, thinking that it was the storm outside bothering him – which Fuji had totally forgotten at that point of time – he brought him closer against him, resting his chin on top of sand coloured locks. "Sleep, Fuji. When you wake up, the sky will be clear again."

"Yes, your majesty."

When he next woke up, the chesnut haired Emperor was no where to be found. He started to panic, thinking they had left him behind, before reason took over and he told himself that there was no way Seiichi, Eiji and Bunta would leave him behind.

Not unless they were forced to, but that's beside the point. He saw a hawk outside the window, one that was just perching there, staring straight at him. Smiling, he went up to the hawk and stroked its head gently, scrunching up his nose while laughing happily when the hawk nuzzled its feathery head into his neck.

"You're good with animals, I take it?"

Tezuka, who was standing at the entrance, asked. He was amused, really, at how the bird was burying its head into Fuji's neck the way a young child would do to their mother, but his appearance didn't show it. Walking over to Fuji, he tried to stroke its head as well, but the bird jerked its head away and bit on his finger, hard. Hissing under his breath, Tezuka dragged his finger away.

"Ah!" Fuji cried out, frowning at the bird, which gave a shrill cry before launching itself into the sky, and went over to tend to the Emperor. He took a warm wash cloth and cleaned the bleeding wound, then wrapped a small piece of bandage over it.

"It's nothing serious, Fuji," Tezuka said, watching the way he worked. But he would be lying if he said he didn't find the way Fuji's slender hands moved to wrap the bandage around his finger soothing. "No need to wrap it up."

Fuji shook his head, "No, your majesty. What if it gets infected? There," he smiled to himself. "All done."

Tezuka almost rolled his eyes, but restrained the urge to – he was Emperor Jimchi, and he did _not _roll his eyes. Well, sometimes he did – and led the way out of the room.

"We'll be returning after breakfast," Tezuka informed him. "Is there anything in particular that you would like to eat?"

Fuji thought about it, inwardly wondering if it was alright that the Emperor was asking him, a lowly concubine, what he wanted to eat. "Uhm, street food. Is that alright with you, your majesty?"

Tezuka's brow creased, not understanding. Fuji could eat all the luxurious food that he wanted – as long as he wanted it, Tezuka would see to it that it would happen – but he wanted to eat street food. Really, he had no idea what street food was like, having grown up in the Royal Palace for his entire life, and was thus suddenly curious to see what exactly was so good about it that the slighter brunette would choose it over any other he could have.

"Very well," Tezuka said. "Oishi, we're going to eat, as Fuji calls it, street food."

Green eyes widening slightly that his Emperor was telling him that they were going to eat the commoner's food for breakfast, he nodded. Of course, for any of them to eat such food was normal, for they had all tried it at least once before, none of them being the royalty that his Emperor was, but for the Emperor himself to want to try street food was out of his expectations.

Then again, Tezuka had always had the mischevious streak hidden inside him, so deep that sometimes even said Emperor couldn't find it.

Giggling to himself, Fuji took Tezuka's hand and ran out of the inn, dragging his Emperor behind him. "I'm going to show you everything that you've never tried, your majesty!"

A blinking Tezuka was dragged out of the inn, and after throwing money pouches to the Generals, Commander and Advisor, promptly disappeared out of the door.

"Well," Yukimura said, smiling serenely, "That was enlightening."

"Fujiko's so brave, nya! I wouldn't have dared dragged the Emperor like that!"

"Puri."

Sanada scowled, muttering under his breath, "Tarundoru."

"Maa, maa, Commander, you shouldn't be so strict on them? I've honestly never seen Syuusuke so carefree before his very instant. In fact, he became so cheerful only after he'd spent the night with the Emperor." Marui, grinned, leaning forward and popping his bubble. "Speaking of, Generals, I'm rather hungry, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find some food of my own. Unless you'd-"

And then Marui was carted out by two very hungry Generals.

Bursting out into laughter, Eiji and Yukimura then pulled their own raven haired escorts along, with the redhead waving goodbye energetically to Kawamura, who smiled shyly and waved back, only to be hit on the head by a gray haired man with a scary face that made Eiji squeal in terror and run faster.

"Who was that, Takashi?" The man growled.

Kawamura laughed silently to himself, shaking his head. "No one, Jin. Just a customer."

"You'd better make sure it was _just_ a customer."

"Have you tried this before?" Fuji asked, holding up something that looked like a white pile of... Something. "It's a steamed bun!"

Tezuka eyed the bun disdainfully. It looked so different from the ones that he had had a few times – the ones he had eaten were of different colours and filled with some type of meat he didn't recognize, but was supposed to be extremely expensive and some vegetables that were also supposed to be extremely expensive. "No. Not like this."

"Try it!"

Hesitantly, Tezuka took a small bite of the bun. Immediately, warm soup gushed into his mouth, fresh meat landed on his tongue, and the fluffiness, but firmness, of the bun managed to hold it all together to contain every single flavour that was incorporated into the steamed bun in one bite. Eyes widening in surprise, he looked down at Fuji, who was already biting into his own and grinning widely at the expression on his Emperor's face.

"Next!"

Fuji pulled him from stall to stall, vendor to vendor, and Tezuka tried things he had never eaten in his life, like plain dumpling noodles, little pastries that looked hard but actually melted in his mouth, and little sticks of candies that were filled with fruits of different kinds. He drew the line at eating insects, though, which made Fuji pout and whine, but he never gave in, no matter how adorable the pout was.

Yukimura stared at the two interact from afar, head tilted to one side, watching how they were so close it seemed that they had known each other for their entire life rather than having just met each other two days ago. He was slightly jealous, for Fuji could be seen with the Emperor no matter where they were. He, however, did not have the privilege to do that with the one that he had taken a liking to.

Because he was the Emperor's man, and he always would be.

Honestly speaking, Yukimura Seiichi was, by far, an extremely proud man. When he had first entered the Royal Palace as a concubine, he had hated the others, and was determined to be the one to win the Emperor's heart, marry said Emperor and become his High Consort. Or, should Emperor Jimchi choose to change tradition, his Empress. But then he had met friends, Kikumaru Eiji, Marui Bunta and Fuji Syuusuke, and slowly, he had changed.

But the one that had changed his mind on becoming High Consort, was Sanada Genichirou, Commander of the Japan Army.

He had met the Commander not-so-totally by accident, when he was walking along the corridors of a wing of the Palace that was restricted to concubines. He did not care for rules – only when he was caught did he worry, but that rarely happened – and the measly ones set by the 'tradition' did not matter to him in the least. He had been distracted that day, perhaps, because he did not notice High Minister Inui Sadaharu and his Consort, Kaidoh Kaoru, until the bespectacled man was directly in front of him and asking him why he was where he wasn't supposed to be.

Stammering a half-hearted reply, all he received was a wide grin, and a low hiss as the shorter male hit the High Minister lightly on the arm. He was then asked to continue walking along the very same corridor until he met someone, which he did without much hesitation. At least now he could say that High Minister Inui had set him up to it, which should get him out of trouble if he was caught.

And the very person that he met when he continued down that corridor, was Commander Sanada. Of course, it would have been rather uneventful, and he would have received a harsh scolding had it been a normal 'meeting', but unfortunately, there had been an assassin out to kill Sanada, and sharp eyesight and reflexes that he had – almost comparable to Eiji's – had managed to pull the Commander out of the way when an arrow had flown at the raven haired man from behind.

Sanada had chased after the assassin, subdued and caught him before the guards patrolling the castle had seen anything. Word had it that after that episode, half of the patrol guards had been stripped of their duty and new ones had been hired to replace them. The Commander had then brought him back to his shared room at the concubine's wing of the palace and thanked him.

That was how they had met, and the rest was history.

In a way, compared to how he and the Commander had met, Fuji and the Emperor's meeting paled in comparison. Yet, it was Fuji that was getting along with the Emperor, Fuji who could treat the Emperor as though they were lovers, no matter how much the brunette would deny it, it wasn't him and Commander Sanada that were that close.

He wanted it to be. He really, really did.

"What are you thinking about?" Sanada asked, halfway through his steamed bun. It had caught his attention that the blue haired concubine had stopped eating, and had a faraway look on his face. "Is something bothering you?"

Yukimura snapped himself out of his stupor, and shook his head. "I'm fine, Comm- Sanada-san."

Sanada's eyes widened at the drop of the title, and how Yukimura had called him 'Sanada-san' instead. He said nothing, merely hummed under his breath, but the answering smile on the bluenette's face was dazzlingly beautiful.

"Ah, let go of me!" Fuji's cry startled everyone, and Yukimura spun round to see a masked man holding his arm around Fuji's neck, muttering words at a fast pace into his ear. Fuji's eyes opened – in shock and fear, perhaps – and he struggled to get free, but the man held him vast.

"Let him go. Now."

Fuji stared at the Emperor, cerulean eyes widening when the other man unsheathed his sword, hidden beneath the folds of his yukata. Where he had placed it the night before so that Fuji didn't see it, he had no idea, but now that the blade was pointing at the man holding him captive, and he had to remember it was at his attacker, not at him, he couldn't deny that the wielder looked extremely terrifying.

"You heard the Emperor." Sanada said, sword drawn as well, and it was only then he noticed that all the members of the party, concubines aside, had drawn their weapons. "Release him."

Fuji stayed silent and unmoving, watching the expressions on everyone's face, including his friends. Yukimura was currently sending the equivalent of hell on earth to the man, if, cliche as it may sound, looks could kill. Eiji was, for the first time, not acting on impulse, as was Marui, though they both looked ready to claw the eyes of the attacker out should they be given the chance.

Slowly, he felt the arms around him loose, and the captor became the captive when the Commander and General Yagyuu when to deal with him. General Niou had to stay behind to reign Marui in place, who was trying to get the the attacker, mostly likely to hurt him.

"Stop that, Marui. Now. As much as I'd like to let you do it, this is not the time nor the place, and you cannot do that with the Emperor here, do you hear me?"

This was the most serious – and mature – he had ever seen the General, but Fuji supposed that the talks of the white haired General wiping out an entire enemy platoon was not all rumours, and he could actually be extremely serious when the situation called for it to be.

He didn't know if he should be flattered or insulted that he had been caught in such a situation.

"Are you okay, Fuji?" Tezuka suddenly said, hands cupping his face and staring at him intently, as though by doing so he could totally ensure that Fuji had not been harmed in any way.

"I'm alright, your majesty. He didn't do anything to me, since you stopped him before he could." Fuji smiled up at the Emperor, eyes curved into slits once more. "Thank you, your majesty. Once again."

Tezuka sighed in relief, allowing himself to show some emotions, for once, before he led them all to where the horses and carriage had been waiting since the night before. He considered his options, before turning back and saying, "Sanada, please ride in the carriage with Yukimura. I will take Fuji on horseback."

Yukimura blinked, then opened his mouth to protest, but the Emperor stopped him. "Fuji told me you were afraid of being on fast moving objects. If you were inside the carriage, I'm sure you would feel calmer."

Not pleased in the least, the blue haired male frowned at Fuji. "Syuusuke!"

A small incline of the head, and Tezuka helped Fuji mount Sanada's horse, before doing so himself, stroking the mane gently to calm the horse down. Recognising the scent of the Emperor, the horse snorted and continued to snack on the apples that had been left on the ground by many of the capital's people.

"Shall we go?" He asked, shooting his question to his Commander and escort. They stared back for a moment before giving in, and Sanada helped Yukimura into the carriage, and folllowed in. "Get ready, Kuro."

Sitting up straight, he nudged the black horse, and the party galloped back off towards the castle. Tezuka lowered his head to whisper into Fuji's ear, "Come to my chambers, as soon as you're done settling down."

Fuji blushed, and Tezuka was inwardly rather pleased with himself, before he straightened up again and pretended like he hadn't done anything.

Cursing under his breath, Fuji glared up at the brunette. _'Sneaky Emperor.'_

* * *

I got carried away~! -laughs- For my standard at least, so you have a longer chapter – again, for my standards – to read. I only received 4 reviews for the previous chapter. -pouts- Is it because that chapter was too boring, or not Perfect Pair centered enough? Because while this is mainly a Perfect Pair fic, there will be some main parts where the other pairings are discussed. Such as in this chapter. But anyways, I'll be replying to the reviews down below, after the chapter notes. -grins-

**And notes!**

Yukatas are traditional Japanese clothing, somewhat like a kimono, but much lighter and much more versatile. Men wear yukatas with an obi, just like the females, but the females have the obi tied into a bow on the back of their yukata. Traditionally, prostitues had their bow tied on the front instead of the back, thus the reason the women in the redlight district have slightly different versions of a yukata compared to those that they saw along the road.

Emperors and Empresses of Japan have no last names once they ascend the throne. Tezuka is only referred to as such because that is what he likes to think of himself. Should anyone close enough to him call him by his name, he may only be referred to as Kunimitsu [although this is considered highly disrespectful], 'your majesty', or his posthumous name [teigou: literally Emperor names]. Tezuka's posthumous name, one that I have decided after much thinking and referencing, is Emperor Jimchi, or Jimchi Tennou, meaning Divine Wisdom [神智]. This was styled after the chinese style posthumous name of Emperor Jimmu. 'Your highness' is also never used to refer to the Emperor of Japan, only 'your Majesty'.

What Tezuka and Fuji ate were steamed meat buns, or _manjuu_, wanton [dumpling] noodles, melon-pan and _bingtanghulu_, which is a Chinese candy, not Japanese, but I wanted Tezuka and Fuji to try it anyways because it is _delicious. _If you don't know and want to know what it is, just go Google it. And if you ever get the chance to eat it, _**do not get the Strawberry. **_Get the Grape.

Sanada's horse is called Kuro no Chikara [黒の力], or Black Power, which is why Tezuka called him Kuro, for sort.

* * *

Reply to reviews:

AelitaOfTheWolves – Thank you so much for reviewing, and I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, although it might be a little more difficult to read.

Fujiyuki – I'm glad you enjoyed that little part – I thought not one would comment about it! 8'D But I'm so happy you did! And yes, there will be bumpy roads ahead – which relationship doesn't? - but probably not the ones that you think they are, so stay tuned!

Starry Night – Your reviews are so fun to read! And you commented on the harem, too! -is a happy person- I am very biased towards Alpha Pair – basically because my sister is totally obsessed with Yukimura and got me into it as well – but Golden and HaruMaruHiro are also close behind. The threesome probably isn't that popular, but I love it all the same. You don't have to be sorry! In fact I should be thanking you, since I've always thought my chapters were short but had no incentive to make them longer. -laughs- A reader like you is what I need to continue writing. I hope you didn't have to wait too long for this chapter, though. I'll continue writing~! But school's starting soon. -bawls like a baby-

supremekikay24 – You do? Yay! -celebrates- Not everyone likes all the pairings listed though, especially HaruMaruHiro. Which is sad for me. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!


	5. Swallow's Task, Eagle's Stress

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 4 – Swallow's Task, Eagle's Stress

Words: 3,006

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

The moment they reached the palace, the horses reared back, shocked by a loud blast when someone shot an explosive arrow into the air. They all turned around, trying to calm the horses, and saw the arch of the arrow as it flew into the air, the bright red of the signal that it was sending as it exploded into sparks of light.

Fuji stared at that blast of light, expression hardening. His eyes flew open as he watched the light disappear in seconds, then lids slid close to cover dangerous sapphire orbs while his face returned to that of a smiling visage.

"Are you all right, Fuji?" Tezuka asked, turning around to ask. The brunette looked a little distracted by the blast of light. "It's probably just children playing with firecrackers. Especially with the summer festival just around the corner."

Fuji shook his head, smiling up at the Emperor, "I'm okay, your majesty."

Tezuka continued to stare at Fuji, until the younger scrunched his nose up cheekily, bringing his face up to Tezuka's, making him flustered. "I'm really okay, your majesty. No need to worry."

Nodding, Tezuka dismounted. "If you say so."

Marui snickered from somewhere behind them, but when Fuji turned around to give him a mock glare, the redhead was already talking innocently to the two Generals, as if he hadn't emitted any sound at all. Chuckling, Fuji returned his attention to the Emperor.

"Your majesty," Fuji smiled, shimmering his way up to Tezuka's side. He balanced his weight on his toes and whispered in the royal's ear, "I'll see you in 2 hours, then, your majesty?"

A growl made its way out of Tezuka's throat, as he leaned his head down to Fuji's ear as well. "You'd better."

Still smiling in that infuriatingly teasing way, Fuji pulled away from the Emperor and twirled away, bowing lowly. "Then I shall take my leave."

Yukimura slowly made his way out of the carriage, still trembling slightly. Sanada took his hand and helped him out, receiving a smile small as thanks. Yukimura had, of course, heard the loud blast of the arrow, and had stuck his head out of the window of the carriage to see what was going on. He took a deep breath, saying a soft goodbye to the Commander, and, after a small inclination of the head from the raven haired man, rushed off towards where Fuji was waiting for them.

"Syuusuke," Yukimura murmured. "That blast of light."

Fuji opened his eyes. "Yes. It's almost time, Seiichi."

He straightened up, regal as always, and motioned for the other two redheads to join them. Fuji and Yukimura bowed low to the Emperor, speaking, "We thank you for allowing us to join you, your majesty. We shall take our leave now."

Tezuka waved a hand towards their chambers, before making his way into the palace, stating to his personal servants that a hot bath, as well as a meal would be in order.

"Oh, yes, before I forget," Tezuka turned around abruptly to survey the four other men with narrow eyes. "Commander, I require your top men in the meeting room this moment. Advisor, please make connections with the High Ministers, and, if possible, the other countries to see if they would lend us their assistance."

"Yes, your majesty."

Tezuka nodded, "To the boardroom, then."

Sanada followed the Emperor to the boardroom, with Yagyuu moving off to find the other two people required for the discussion.

When Yagyuu returned minutes later, the Emperor had already taken out a world map and pinned it to the table, and was surveying it with Commander Sanada and General Niou. Small pins were placed here and there on the map, and the air was thick with tension.

"Your majesty," Yagyuu spoke, gathering their attention. "If we may start the discussion?"

Tezuka looked up from the map, at Commander Sanada. "Are these the men you would trust with your life, Commander?"

With a grim expression, Sanada nodded, and Tezuka understood. He gave them all a glance, judging them.

Commander Sanada himself, who, when they were younger, had been one of Tezuka's best friends and rival when it came to their sword wielding skills. Tezuka knew he could entrust his life to the Commander, no matter what happened. Trusting Commander Sanada was as natural to Tezuka as breathing was.

Generals Niou and Yagyuu. Perfectly capable of fighting alone, but deadly when fighting as a pair. They seemed to be exact opposites, but they were still able to work in perfect harmony. The Emperor had only sparred with them once or twice, but he had seen them train often enough to know that there were not the Generals only because they knew the Commander well.

The other two, however, Tezuka did not know as well.

Yanagi Renji, main Strategist and Platoon Leader of the Japan Imperial Army. He always had his eyes closed, and there was very little known about him, other than the fact that his strategies rivaled that of High Minister Inui, and that the Commander spoke very highly of him. He hardly sparred, instead he prefered to stay out of the fire, but was extremely skilled when he was needed.

The last, Tezuka was a little dubious about. Kirihara Akaya, Combat Captain. He was, as rumours put it, very fiery, although the actual term used was that he was extremely violent when provoked. It was true that the way he fought was exceptional, but Tezuka was concerned that he would not be able to control himself well in dire situations, thus putting himself and the entire army in harm's way.

Sanada, though, nodded at Tezuka's raised eyebrow, and Akaya gave a relieved sigh when the Emperor approved of him as well, clearly trusting the Commander.

"Very well," Tezuka said, getting straight to business. "I believe that all of you have heard of the information that High Minister Inui has provided us with?"

Yanagi nodded, "Of course. Sadaharu's information matches my own. There is no doubt about that the information is correct."

"Good. We cannot let our guard down. Now, we know that..."

* * *

"We're going to bathe," Eiji said, grinning widely as he retrieved his clothing. "I bought bubble bath today, nya! I want to use it!"

Marui nudged him, "Did you buy it or did the Advisor buy it for you?"

Pouting, Eiji retorted, "You can't talk, nya! The Generals bought you that bag of sweets, didn't they?"

Sticking out his tongue, Marui ran into the bathroom, "Are you coming, Seiichi, Syuusuke?"

Yukimura shook his head, waving Eiji into the bathroom as well, "We'll come in a while. I have to tell Syuusuke something."

Eiji and Marui shrugged, and slammed the door close. "Come in when you're ready!"

Yukimura chuckled, but turned serious when he face Fuji. "Syuusuke, you know what that signal meant."

Fuji nodded, "Yes, Seiichi. I do."

Heaving a deep sigh, Yukimura walked directly in front of Fuji, sapphire eyes stern. "You do know that you will endanger your life for this. Syuusuke, please do not this. Even if he is the Emperor, even though I know that this is extremely important to you, I beg you to see reason, Syuusuke! The Emperor is _not _worth endangering your life. Think about me. About _us_. Bunta and Eiji don't know anything, but if you hurt yourself, it will hurt them, too."

"_Seiichi_," Fuji said, "You know how important this is to me. You know how important the Emperor is to me. I did not come all the way here to lose a chance like this, not when I have already come so far. Not when I am merely one step closer to achieving what I have always wanted."

"Then I beg of you, Syuusuke, to come to your senses. I am not in my position just because I have a pretty face. _You _are not in your position because you have a pretty face. This is suicide, Syuusuke, and you know it."

"Suicide or not, Seiichi," Fuji's face was dark, "It is what I have pledged my life to. And nothing can change my mind."

With that, the brunette whipped around and entered the bathroom, all smiles once more.

"Syuusuke, why would you choose to hurt yourself like this?" Yukimura shook his head, staring at the small pouch on his bed. Fear gripped him as he realised that what Fuji was going to do could very well end his own life as well – although indirectly. "Sanada-san..."

* * *

"Your majesty, concubine Fuji Syuusuke has requested entrance to your private chambers."

Tezuka looked up from where he was reading the letters of confirmation from the High Ministers, and gave a small nod. He stamped the Royal Emblem onto a piece of parchment, rolled it up and handed it to the Advisor, who was standing to his side. "Has the Emperor of Korea replied yet, Oishi?"

"No, your majesty."

Sighing inaudibly, Tezuka dismissed both the Advisor and this personal servants for the day at the moment Fuji walked into his chambers.

"You look tense, your majesty. Has something happened?" Fuji asked, concerned. He made his way closer to the Emperor and felt between his shoulderblades, applying pressure with his thumbs.

The Emperor shook his head, standing up and taking Fuji's hand in his own. "It's nothing, Fuji. Come," He said, leading Fuji to his balcony. It was a cold night, despite the summer heat during the day, and he wrapped his arms around the slighter male to keep him warm. "There is something I wish to show you."

Slightly confused, Fuji tagged along, blushing at the warmth of the Emperor's arms around him. He frowned, then, remembering Yukimura's words.

"_Even if he is the Emperor, even though I know that this is extremely important to you, I beg you to see reason, Syuusuke!"_

"Fuji," Tezuka said, pointing up towards the dark sky. "Watch. In a few moments, something will happen."

Snapping himself out of the daze he was in, Fuji turned his attention to the sky, which was dark but had stars twinkling here and there. He was mesmerized – they didn't have skies like this where he was born – but that was, apparently, not what the Emperor wanted him to see.

"It'll be starting, soon."

Fuji continued to stare at the sky, not knowing what was going to happen. Had the Emperor planned something? Fireworks, perhaps?

The first meteor shot through the sky, a fiery trail behind it. Fuji gasped as meteor after meteor fell through the sky, creating a shooting star shower. Fuji's eyes snapped open, widening in surprise and glee as he jumped up and down, hands holding onto the railing. He cheered as they continued to fall, two by two, three by three, four by four, again and again while he laughed and enjoyed the rare sight.

When it ended fifteen minutes later, Fuji turned around to laugh and smiled gleefully at the Emperor, thanking him for showing something as beautiful as that. "I've never seen anything like that before, your majesty. Thank you."

Tezuka nodded, staring down at his concubine. "You're welcome."

"Did you like it, your majesty?"

"I wouldn't know, Fuji," Tezuka answered truthfully. "I was watching you the entire time."

Fuji blushed bright red at this statement, wondering if the Emperor was tell the truth, or if he was just lying to compliment him. Then he remembered that the Emperor hated liars, and then proceeded to blush an even brighter red.

"You're beautiful when you're smiling, Fuji."

"Your majesty, I smile all the time."

"No. When you smile genuinely. A real smile, Fuji."

He looked up, and was almost lost in those smouldering hazel eyes. No one other than his family and Seiichi had seen him smile for real, since he never let anyone see past his mask. But the Emperor, who he had met only a few days ago had already managed to see it. He, who had revealed himself for the Emperor.

He was afraid to admit it to himself.

"Fuji Syuusuke," Tezuka whispered softly. "I think..."

The smaller male didn't dare to hope, but he couldn't help it.

"I think I'm in love with you."

_'You'll regret becoming so close to him, when you have to do what you need to, you'll regret doing this.'_

_'What are you thinking, Syuusuke? Stop that! That's not something that you should be thinking about a man like this! Have you forgotten what you promised yourself?'_

"_Even if he is the Emperor, even though I know that this is extremely important to you, I beg you to see reason, Syuusuke!"_

"_This is suicide, Syuusuke, and you know it."_

Fuji pushed it all to the back of his mind. He didn't care, at this very moment, that he was going against every expectation that he had set for himself. He didn't care that he was digging an even deeper hole for himself. He didn't care that this was exactly what he had told himself not to do.

To fall in love with the Emperor.

"I love you too, your majesty."

In the span of less than three days, Fuji Syuusuke had managed to both fall in love with the Emperor, and cause the Emperor to fall in love with him. It was fast, yes, but that was what they meant by falling in love. One didn't ease into love, one fell into it. And the two of them had fallen hard.

Fuji lifted himself onto his toes the moment Tezuka wrapped an arm around his waist to pick him up. The other hand went to cradle Fuji's cheek, bringing his lips down to meet the other's.

They kissed. The first was chaste, the way teenagers would kiss as though trying to experiment and find out what it felt like. They parted, slightly, before their overwhelming feelings took over and they lost control. Lips met and parted, then met again, mouth slanting and teeth clasing. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't like how romance novels narrated it to be – perfect and experienced, no – but it was passionate and even though they kept biting each other by accident, even though they weren't exactly coordinated yet, it still felt good, and so they kept going and going.

The next time Fuji managed to gather himself enough to take note of his surroundings, he was being pinned to the bed by the the Emperor, and they had kissed countless times, but still they hadn't had enough of each other. The moment Tezuka leaned back to take a breath, Fuji inhaled and then pulled him back down the next second, lips parting and inviting the Emperor into his embrace, letting himself be dominated, taken fully and wholly and it felt like nothing he had ever felt before.

The lips disappeared from his own, trailing down his jawline to his neck, leaving feathery butterfly kisses here, but marking his neck with bites there, marks that were sure to let everyone know what the pair had been doing that night, but Fuji only craved more, he only wanted more, even though he knew he shouldn't be doing this, he couldn't help it.

He was in love with the Emperor. Of that he was sure.

Fuji leaned his head back, letting Tezuka have more access to his neck, as he moaned and writhed on the bed when the Emperor found a sensitive spot at the base of his neck. Hands clutched at the sheets, gripping into fists and releasing, then moving upwards to loosen the robes the Emperor was wearing. He could feel the Emperor doing the same for his own garments, and he surrendered himself to the warm touch, letting himself fall.

"Syuusuke," Tezuka murmured. "I love you."

It sent a jolt of happiness and guilt to his heart, the words the Emperor said, but Fuji ignored the guilt and let the happiness overwhelm him, tangling his fingers in the Emperor's hair and bringing him up for another kiss that had them both breathing heavily, eyes glazed with pleasure they had never felt before until that day.

"I love you too, your majesty."

* * *

Fuji felt warm. He normally woke up freezing, because he was the type to kick the covers off when he slept, but this time, he was warm and he felt comfortable, and there was no urge to open his eyes to find his blanket and topple right back into bed.

But he wanted to know why he was so warm. Forcing himself to open his eyes, the sight made him freeze. The Emperor's face was inches from his own, and his torso was bare – his was, too, actually.

_Shock._

He could still feel the material of his pants against his legs, so they hadn't gone all the way. Heat crept back up into his cheeks as he realised that he had, for lack of a better term, made out with the Emperor last night until they were both too tired, and had fallen asleep, presumably in each other's arms.

Okay. Acceptable.

He had fallen in love with the Emperor, and the Emperor had also confessed his love for him. A mutual relationship, perhaps?

Okay. Not acceptable. At. All.

"Syuusuke?"

Jolted back from his thoughts, Fuji stared at the Emperor, who, by the looks of it, had been trying to get his attention for some time now. He smiled, and raised his hand to brush away a strand of hair that had fallen in front of the Emperor's eyes.

"It's nothing, your majesty."

Worrying could wait until he had fully woken up, after all.

* * *

A slightly shorter chapter, but it had to be done. From the next chapter onwards, the road will be, not bumpy, but a roller coaster ride. You will hate the characters, you will hate the things they do, the things they say and you will, ultimately, hate me. That, I assure you. [Although I hope none of you hate me. Wishful thinking. 8D]

Read and Review, please? Oh! And if you'd be so kind, _when_ you review, not _if, _when you review, could you give a guess as to what you think Fuji will be doing when Yukimura says that 'this is suicide'. I'd like to know what you think, even though I already have it all planned. /laughs

Replies to Reviews:

Aozora2502 – I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Of course, from here on out, Fuji will hardly be the damsel in distress, although that's for later chapters. /hinthint

supremekikay24 – Did you know that my word processor has your name saved in the dictionary? I didn't even program it, but I guess it's because I've typed it a few times. So thank you for reviewing again! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and hope that you'll enjoy this and read it till it's end.

reinbowbox – Yukimura will get his wish, but he, like all the others, has to go through some trials or another before he can get his happy ending.

Starry Night – It does, since you're always telling me what you like and don't, so I can always improve and correct myself. I hope you don't mind that this is a shorter chapter, but I needed to stop it here, for plot's sake. I think you'll like this chapter very much, and that you'll be one of those that start to hate me for how the story will progress. /laughs

Guest – Why won't you leave me a name, anon? It feels so cold to call you a 'guest'. D; But nevertheless, thank you for reviewing! I have updated, as per your request, and I hope to receive a review from you for this chapter as well! And I think I'm making you even more paranoid in this chapter. /gigglesnort

fujiyuki – Hm, normally I would answer questions, but... D8 I can't, because it would reveal the entire plot. Yes, he can't fight against it, but he will do his utmost best to. Because Fuji being stubborn is how this entire story was born. /laughs I have a steamed bun in the fridge now! I think I'll eat it tomorrow...

CRAZEMisaki – Yes, you are. Doof. I get_ feels_ for different stories, not this one. D8 Stop expecting things from me. Write your own fanfics! /pokes you Yagami is awesome. Massu. I will call him Massu and there's nothing you can do to stop me. /bwahaha


	6. Swallow's Identity, Eagle's Choice

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 5 – Swallow's Identity, Eagle's Choice

Words: 3,628

Chapter Rating: T

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This chapter is a dedication to Fuji Syuusuke and Yukimura Seiichi for their birthdays, though late, so there will be a few parts of the chapter that are not as relevant to the plot, and rather just fluff for your enjoyment. However, do read the chapter as there are some major plot points going on.

* * *

If Tezuka could have his way, he would lie in bed with Fuji in his arms and he would never wake up, but he was the Emperor of Japan, and had duties that needed to be tended to. His mind went back to the discussion in the boardroom, and he stiffened. Tightening his hold on the slighter brunette, Tezuka told himself that he would never let Fuji come to harm of any kind. If Japan had no choice but to go to war, then Fuji would be the one he would kill to protect.

Fuji stirred, having fallen into a light doze after some time, roused by the possessive arms around him. He blinked up at the Emperor, adorably confused, then broke out into a sleepy grin that made Tezuka giddy with happiness – even if he would never admit it.

"Good morning, your majesty."

Tezuka ran his hand through Fuji's hair, slow and languid, as though to prolong the time that they spent lying in bed. He hummed his acknowledgement to the greeting, pressing his replying kiss to the crown of his head.

"Your majesty, are you awake yet? There are some matters which require your attention," The voice of a female servant came from outside his sliding door. A frown creased Tezuka's brow, unwilling to leave his sanctuary, torn between his duties and the man he loved.

"You should go, your majesty," Fuji whispered from beside him. "Japan needs you."

A nod, and Tezuka said, "I'll be out shortly." He heard the shuffling of shoes against the ground as the servant left, and turned back to Fuji, only to receive a short, but loving kiss on the lips from the concubine. He buried his face into silky locks and inhaled, the scent of cinammon and apples drowning him and leaving him slightly dazed.

Straightening up, Tezuka went to his bathroom to freshen up, bringing back a wet washcloth for Fuji and letting him clean up as well, then helping him into a light robe that had been prepared for the concubine the previous night. He led Fuji to the entrance to the concubine's quarters, leaned down and kissed him gently, showing his love how unwilling he was to part with him.

No words were exchanged, no farewells and no promises to see each other again that day, for that was the silent communication they had between them. Fuji simply smiled, cupped Tezuka's face with his palm for a few seconds, and let his hand drop, disappearing into his shared room with a small wave and a teasing flip of his hair.

It was only then that Tezuka turned around to walk back to the main hall of the Royal Palace, head held high and eyes sharp. There had been sightings of assassins from the enemy countries recently, according to High Minister Inui, supported with data from Strategist Yanagi, and even though the chances of them penetrating the castle defences were low, he didn't want to jeopardize his country by dying from a simple assassination attack that could have been easily prevented with vigilance.

"Your majesty," A flustered Oishi said the moment he entered the boardroom, "Our soldiers have detected troops sailing in from the east. We have yet to identify which country they're from, but some sources say that there are already some that are in the mainland, while others are already in the capital itself."

"Is that true, Strategist?" Tezuka asked, moving to the map laid on the table, taking a few pins and placing them near the capital and at the eastern shore of Japan.

Yanagi nodded, rolling out a few parchments for the Emperor's consideration. "Here, we have a few estimates as to how many troops there are outisde of Japan, how many already in the mainland, and an estimate of the number of them in the capital. The last figure is significantly smaller, and most likely to be spies, maybe even trojan horses, than soldiers that are planning to attack the Palace directly."

"We need to send some men to take care of that, then," the Commander said, turning to his childhood friend, "Renji, you have the ability to fish out these men, don't you? I need you to capture them – but not kill. We need them alive to fish information from them about the impending attack they seem to want to launch on us."

"Of course, Genichirou. Your majesty, would you trust Sadaharu with this matter as well? It would be a lot faster if we were both to attend to this matter."

Tezuka gave his consent, and Yanagi left to find the High Minister and gather data on the enemy attack.

"Commander, we'll need troops to be stationed at the eastern shore to prevent the enemy from launching an attack. I do not require you to be in the line of fire as of yet, only when matters get worst. For now, sending a few platoons will be sufficient."

Sanada nodded, then turned to Yagyuu. "Will both you and Niou be able to take care of this? Find some men under the both of you who are capable enough to hold off the navy and send them to the eastern border. I want you, Yagyuu, to make sure everything is in order before returning and reporting the strength of the army and the condition to me. Niou, when Renji returns with the information I want you to disguise yourself as one of the assassins and see if you can penetrate their ranks."

"Puri," Niou grinned, already thinking of how he would dress up. He'd have to buy a wig, of course, and a hood so that he could hide his face.

"Understood, Sanada-kun."

"Very well. Combat Captain, I need you to assist the Strategist in anyway that you can, and provide him men when needed. We will discuss this again when we have more information about the possible attack."

"Yes, your maejsty."

* * *

Fuji pulled his fingers through the gloves, securing them with a piece of cloth. He made sure that everyone was out of the room, enjoying the sunshine and lazing about, before he had snuck back and begun to prepare himself for the inevitable meeting.

"You won't change your mind, Syuusuke?"

He didn't have to turn around to look at the person to know who it was. He had expected it, really, and that soft, melodic voice was one that he had heard for at least twelve years of his entire life. That was more than half.

"I won't, Seiichi. You know that."

Yukimura walked closer to Fuji, face lined with worry and concern. He didn't want Fuji to endanger himself in such a way just for the Emperor, and there was no guarantee that Fuji would have success, making him all the more worried for his reckless friend. Grabbing the brunette into a hug, Yukimura buried his face into Fuji's shoulder. "You'd better come back today, Fuji."

Laughing, Fuji patted Yukimura on the back. "I'm not going to do anything dangerous, Seiichi. I'll just be staking my claim on the Emperor. He's mine, and no one hurts him."

Yukimura laughed, "You really do love him, don't you, Syuusuke?"

The laughter stopped abruptly, Fuji smiling wistfully. "Yes. I really do love him, Seiichi."

"Be safe."

"I will."

With that, Fuji bounded out of their room, running towards the castle walls and scaling them with ease. He hid himself when the patrol guards came, and ran off the split second they looked away. In a matter of minutes, Fuji was outside the palace and at the capital.

He continued, moving stealthily, not letting anyone detect him. When he finally reached their meeting place, he moved his hand towards the daggers slotted at the back of his thighs, drawing them out and throwing them up in the air, juggling them.

"You're here, Swallow."

Fuji smirked, leaning against the wall and propping his weight onto one leg. He continued to throw the daggers with one hand, catching one and throwing the another, again and again.

"What, did you expect anything else? You _threatened _him."

"Higher up's orders, Swallow."

Fuji snarled, catching both daggers with one hand and stalking towards the other party. The man's eyes glinted with fear and determination to not be afraid of Fuji, but he took a step back when the brunette pointed the tips of the daggers at his chest.

"Look here. His majesty is _mine_. It is my duty to protect him from anything, and that includes the 'higher ups', orders or not. I chose this. I chose to enter the Royal Palace as a concubine and I'll be damned if I let any harm come to him."

Cerulean eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you understand?"

Stiffly nodding, the other man agreed. "Yes. I will pass your message on. But he won't be happy."

"Never expected him to be."

Then Fuji turned away. The man tried to punch him from behind, but before he could take three steps from his position, one of Fuji's daggers was lodged in the wall beside his head.

By the time he reached the Palace again, the sun was already setting, casting a warm, golden glow. He picked up a few items from the stalls and snuck back, where Yukimura was already waiting for him.

"Syuusuke," Yukimura said, "What took you so long? I thought they'd attacked you and you'd gotten hurt."

Fuji giggled, turning to the bluenette and handing him one of the packages. "Did you really think that any of those amateurs could hurt me, Seiichi? Happy birthday!"

Yukimura looked down at the package in his hands, blinked once, then went to his own chest and got out a small pouch, handing it to Fuji. "Happy birthday as well, Syuusuke."

Smiling, they opened their presents for each other – since their birthdays were only a week apart, they always celebrated it together – and laughed at what they had gotten each other.

Yukimura, from the package, retrieved a pot of dahlias, his favourite flower. They were difficult to get, especially in this part of Japan where the climate and conditions made it difficult for them to flourish, but Fuji had gotten him a pot and he promised himself he would not let this rare gem wilt under his care.

On the other hand, Fuji extracted a small pin from the pouch: silver and with a small touch of blue gems on the end. He gazed at it for a moment, mesmerized by the colour and the small details, then grinned and turned to the mirror, using it to pin up some of his hair.

"Seiichi, it makes me look like a girl," He mock-complained, pouting slightly. All Yukimura did was laugh, and comment on how he already looked like a girl anyway.

Fuji stuck his tongue out. "You're one to talk."

They joked and teased each other, taunting and laughing, as they walked along the corridors. At the turn of the corner, another concubine grinned and greeted them both, "Happy birthday, you too!"

"Thank you!" They chorused together.

"It's your birthday?"

They both turned around to see the Emperor standing behind them, one eyebrow raised. Fuji grinned widely and stepped closer to him, wrapping his arms around the Emperor's waist and leaning his head on his chest. "Mm! Belated, anyways."

Yukimura narrowed his eyes, which went unnoticed by the Emperor, glancing around to make sure no one was around that could hurt the Emperor, since both Fuji and Tezuka had their guards down. He felt a little awkward standing here when the other two were acting all lovey-dovey, but he couldn't possibly walk away – it would be rude to do so, and Yukimura liked his head where it was, thank you very much.

"It's yours as well, Yukimura?"

The bluenette nodded, smiling. "In a few days. Our birthdays are close to each other, you see. So we celebrate it together, in the middle. Before mine, and after Syuusuke's."

Tezuka acknowledged this with a hum, then wrapped an arm around Fuji's waist and leading him away. He leaned down to whisper something in Fuji's ear, which made the smaller grin widely and turn to the still awkward Yukimura, saying, "The Commander's in his room, Seiichi!"

Yukimura flushed a bright red, watching the duo continue on their way – most likely to the Emperor's quarters – and bowing lowly in respect when the Emperor turned back to look at him, give him a nod and a small smile, then rounded the corner, Fuji in tow.

He slowly walked towards the Commander's quarters, wondering if he should be doing this. Even if the Emperor himself had given permission – indirectly – but he was still one of the Emperor's concubines, and if the ministers saw fit to execute him, the Emperor himself might not be able to do anything either. He didn't want to die, not until he had lived his life to the fullest, and certainly not because he was with the man he loved. So deep in his thoughts Yukimura was, that the next time he snapped back to his senses, he was already in front of the Commander's room.

Deciding that it was now or never, Yukimura called through the sliding doors, "Sanada-san?"

A few seconds was all it took for the doors to slide open, mild surprise registering on the Commander's face when he saw that it was Yukimura outside. Gesturing for him to enter, Sanada then went to prepare a pot of tea for his guest; he disliked servants in his private chamber, preferring to do everything by himself. He led Yukimura to sit on the bed, both nursing cups of tea.

"Why have you come here, Yukimura?"

To tell the truth, Yukimura himself didn't know. The Emperor hadn't said anything, and neither had Fuji. They'd just told him that Sanada was in his room, and he had somehow made his way here. "I don't really know, Sanada-san. I was told by the Emperor that you were here, and I..."

Sanada blinked. Why would the Emperor tell Yukimura that he was in his room alone? Was the Emperor trying to... Or did he already know? Tezuka was a very sharp man, and he would most likely have been able to pick some signals up, given how intelligent he was.

"Yukimura."

"Mm?"

"Do you think that the Emperor knows?"

"I... I think he does. But if he asked me to come here. Does that mean he doesn't mind? That we're, you know."

"What are we, Yukimura?"

The blue haired concubine took a deep breath, looking up at the Commander. He would be placing Sanada in great danger by saying this, but he couldn't help it. It overwhelmed him, this feeling. "I'm in love with you, Sanada-san."

Sanada stiffened, shock pulsing through him, then his harsh eyes softened into liquid gold, and took the small, empty cup from Yukimura's hands, placing both on the side table. Then he leaned back down, pushing Yukimura onto his back, on his bed.

"I love you too, Yukimura."

* * *

"Do you think he got the hint, your majesty?" Fuji asked, lying on the Emperor's bed with his head tucked under Tezuka's chin.

Tezuka hummed, stroking his fingers through Fuij's hair. He knew he shouldn't be doing this: he had so much paperwork to take care of, but now all he really wanted to do was to stay with Fuji in his room and lavish attention on him.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday, Syuusuke."

Fuji looked up at his lover, smiling. "I didn't think it was important." He muttered, burying his face back into Tezuka's neck. "Besides, we haven't met, on my birthday."

"Syuusuke."

Giggling, Fuji kissed his Emperor's neck delicately, displaying nothing but affection for his lover. An exasperated sigh left his lips, knowing that nothing he said would make the Emperor drop the subject. "Then, why don't you give me something now, if it really bothers you so much?"

Rising from the bed, Tezuka made sure that Fuji was comfortable before walking through an arch to the other part of his private chambers. He came back with a small pouch of silk and sat back on the bed, playing with it and twining the string around his finger. Looking up at Fuji, he spoke, "Close your eyes, Syuusuke."

Confusing, but heeding to the request, Fuji closed his eyes, making sure that he couldn't see, rather than his usual smile. He felt something around his neck, and lifted a hand to touch it.

A kiss on the top of his head prompted him to open his eyes and look down at the chain hanging around his neck. From it hung a bright blue pendant, made of sapphire, no doubt, and jade, if the green around the gem was any indication. He looked up at the Emperor, surprised and rather unwilling to accept something so grand.

"It was my mother's gift from my father. She gave it to me with strict instructions that I hand it to the person I loved," Tezuka explained, face flushing an adorable pink. "I want you to have it."

"But your majesty-"

Tezuka silenced him, bringing his lips down and pressing them against the concubine's, flexing his lips and probing with his tongue. His hand tangled in Fuji's hair possessively, the other arm winding its way around the brunette's waist, holding him close. They parted, both breathing deeply, almost to the point of panting at how intense their kiss had been, and Tezuka laid forehead against Fuji's. "Keep it, Syuusuke. It's yours, now."

Fuji looked conflicted, torn between wanting to keep it and feeling unworthy of it, but Tezuka crinkled his eyes, and he was so overwhelmed with love for his Emperor that he wanted something that showed that he belonged to his Emperor, and so he nodded, feeling his heart swell.

The smile he got in return was both breathtakingly beautiful and heart-breaking at the same time.

"Another thing," Tezuka murmured. "I want you to call me by my name, Syuusuke."

Fuji jerked back, shaking his head rapidly. "No, your majesty, that's entirely disrespectful, and only the people close to you have the permission to do that! Even then, it's still considered rude."

Sighing, Tezuka lifted Fuji's hand to his lips, brushing against it. "I want you to. I give you permission, and as my lover, I believe you are entitled to that."

"L-Lover?"

Eyes displaying disappointment, Tezuka drew back a little. "Do you not consider me to be your lover, Syuusuke?"

"No! I- I just..."

He never wanted to see this, the way his Emperor's eyes flashed with hurt and disappointment, hand drawing back as though he had been electrocuted. It occured to him that the Emperor really was as in love with him as he loved the Emperor, and that by telling the Emperor that he didn't regard them to be as close as lovers, he had hurt his Emperor.

The Emperor who appeared to be made of stone, and Emperor who never showed his heart to anyone.

"Your majesty," Fuji said, crawling forward. "I love you. Please don't misunderstand me, I've just never thought that I would be refered to as such. I do wish to be your lover, your majesty."

Smiling softly – the smile for his Syuusuke, and his Syuusuke only – Tezuka moved to bring Fuji into his embrace, trusting in his words and their mutual feelings. "Please, Syuusuke. Call me by my name."

The consort nodded, although still apprehensive, and Tezuka murmured his given name into his lover's ear, "Kunimitsu."

_Kunimitsu._

Such a majestic name, so powerful, full of glory and meaning. A majestic name for the Emperor,_ country of light_, it meant, and Fuji couldn't think of a name more fitting for his Emperor than Kunimitsu.

"Kunimitsu," he whispered, loving the way the name rolled off his tongue. "Kunimitsu."

Tezuka inhaled deeply, holding Fuji possessively, and he told himself that he would grant Oishi anything he wanted for making him choose a concubine that day, and that he had chosen Fuji to be one of the three candidates for him to choose from. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have known this beautiful male in his arms, and he wouldn't be so deeply in love that it felt as though he was a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

Even if his country was in possible danger, even if there might be a foreign attack soon, at that moment, Tezuka didn't really care at all.

* * *

"Gotcha," Niou smirked, tackling the spy and slamming him against the wall. He tied the ropes securely around his wrists and dragged the man out of the alleyway, hood up and fake brown fringe covering his face.

Yanagi was waiting for him when he arrived back at the jail of the Royal Palace, throwing the spy into a cell and removing his hood and wig, revealing his platinum blond hair. The spy was snarling, kicking and scanning the cell for means of escape. He opened his mouth to say something, but Yanagi got to it first.

"Let me the hell out of here, is what you would say," the Strategist said, surveying the spy, "Isn't it, Shishido Ryou?"

* * *

Notes: Emperors and Empresses of Japan have no last names once they ascend the throne. Tezuka is only referred to as such because that is what he likes to think of himself. Should anyone close enough to him call him by his name, he may only be referred to as Kunimitsu [although this is considered highly disrespectful].

.

reinbowbox – Interesting guess, there, but one of the more logical ones, with the clues I've been throwing. 8D I won't reveal anything, though. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'd really like to know if it changes your guess on anything.

CRAZEMisaki – Do you really have to praise Yukimura even in your review of my fic? I mean, Yuki-mama is awesome and all, but _come on._ D8 Say anything else about my sadism and I'll take lessons from Massu and kill Alpha Pair. -3-

supremekikay24 – You actually want to hate me? /sobbu But thank you, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I want to see a real shooting star shower, tho, which is why I let them experience it. And also because I needed romance. 8D

AelitaOfTheWolves – Me is glad you be likey this chapter a lot. /hugs

OniGiriDreamOtaku – Super epic moments coming up! Served on a silver platter with a side dish of fluff and a load of angst sauce. Thank you! I don't believe I have a unique writing style as of yet, but if you're able to recognise it, it means I'm getting there! And now I'll be exterminating mistakes in my writing, tyvm. /hands you bandages for heart strings

Aozora2502 – Fuji? Dying? AHAHA. Possible. /hides in a hole

Starry Night – Emperor assassination, hm? Interesting thought, there. I wonder if you'll change your mind after this chapter? Possibly. I do hope you enjoy this all the way to the end, and stay with me throughout it all!

Guest – Why? Why you no be leaving name other than 'guest'? Why? D8 I hope you've not died of paranoia, tho. That would suck. And make me a murderer. No. No way. I hope you're enjoying this more, and I'd love to hear from you again!

fujiyuki – Suicide. Hm. Well, Yukimura should be clearer when he speaks, shouldn't he? 8D Then you won't be so confused. But Yukimura's mean like that, so he speaks in riddles. /laughs I hope you like this chapter as well!

vegibee – Our tensai is most definitely hiding something, but as to what... You'll see. 8D I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'd love if you become one of my regular reviewers as well. ^-^


	7. Swallow's Truth, Eagle's Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 6 – Swallow's Truth, Eagle's Hurt

Words: 2,625

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

"If you know what I'm going to say, then stop standing around telling me about it," Shishido snarled, jerking against his restraints. "Get to it, you bastard of a mind reader, so that I can rip you and this pathetic country to shreds-"

He was slammed into the wall, a hand curled tightly around his neck. "Say that one more time, you fucking asshole, and I swear you won't see the light of day ever again."

"General Niou, stop it."

"Forgive me, _Strategist Yanagi, _I don't believe I am under your direct command," The silver haired man sneered. "I do not have to follow your orders, unlike the little lapdog you keep by your side."

"_I beg your pardon, General?"_

"Silence!"

They both turned to find the Commander standing at the entrance, ochre eyes flashing with anger. "This is not the time to be arguing amongst ourselves. You both know how bad the situation already is, and yet, instead of doing your duty to the country, you are arguing about who's babysitting the other!"

"My apologies, Commander," Yanagi said, inclining his head, as Niou gave a grunt. He turned to Shishido and gave him a glare, "Say anything else against our country, _Shishido Ryou_, and I promise you'll wish you'd never step foot here."

Niou snarled his agreement, and stalked up the stairs, followed closely by the Commander and Strategist, who slammed the wooden door shut behind him, disappearing into the room he shared with Yagyuu to change out of his disguise, muttering under his breath all the while.

"You seem happy despite the recent events, Commander," Yanagi said, deliberately using his best friend's title instead of his name. "Has anything happened?"

Sanada sighed; he really couldn't put anything past the Strategist. "I have not confirmed it yet, Renji."

"Hm," Yanagi mused, "A 78.9 percent that it has something to do with Yukimura-san, but due to what I heard from some servants, that percentage has risen to 84.3 percent. A 6.9 percent chance that it has to do with Akaya's improvements, 4.5 that it has to do with our capture of the spy, 2.7 to do with your new sword and 1.6 percent that it's about Niou's recent obedient behaviour."

Honestly, Sanada thought, his best friend scared the hell out of him some times.

"But, I assume you won't be telling me any details, Genichirou. I might have to pay a visit to Yukimura-san, soon," Yanagi continued, amused smirk plastered on his face.

Growling, Sanada replied, "You will do no such thing, Renji."

Tutting, Yanagi turned to a different direction, but not before saying, "Already so protective of him, I see." He then disappeared so quickly Sanada didn't even have a chance to slap him.

Finally, he could have peace.

* * *

"Attack! The palace's under attack!"

Tezuka was jolted from his nap by the shouts of his guards, arms immediately wrapping themselves protectively around Fuji. He was still in his normal garments, rushing to his _katana_, which was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room.

"Syuusuke," He murmured, shaking his beloved, "Syuusuke, wake up, come on."

Moaning, Fuji curled up into a ball, refusing. "I don't wanna-"

"Your majesty!" Sanada said as he slammed the doors open. Normally he would not have had the audacity to do such a thing, but this was serious, and the Emperor was in danger. He cursed himself at not having known that this was all a trap, but he knew Yanagi and Inui were worse, venting their frustration at not having figured it out on the assassins that had made their way into the Palace undetected.

Sanada watched as the Emperor finally woke his lover up, who blinked blearily, then realized the seriousness of the situation in seconds, cerulean eyes snapping wide open and shooting up to his feet.

"The assassins have managed to infiltrate the Palace. The spy we captured was merely a decoy, a way to let the other assassins know that we're on to them. They attacked fifteen minutes ago, and our troops, which were stationed on the coast are now of no use. The navy attack was another decoy as well. The Palace, and by default, you, your majesty, are in grave danger."

Tezuka's eyes flashed, hand on the hilt of his _katana_. He grit his teeth, then nodded at the Commander, who left, and General Niou came back to take his place. Fuji stayed silent, by his side, and he wrapped a reassuring arm around his lover, pulling him closer to comfort him, but not too close that he couldn't react to an attack immediately.

General Niou's expression was grim. He was the one, after all, who had caught the spy, and he blamed himself for this attack. Why hadn't he checked properly? Why hadn't he expected something like this to happen? Why hadn't he done his job better? If he had just been a little bit more careful, a little bit more conscientious in his work, this entire disaster could have been evaded.

It was all his fault.

"General," Tezuka said, voice quiet. They didn't want to attract any unwanted attention, after all. "It isn't your fault."

Niou's eyes widened, then he nodded, clearly not believing in it much, but the fact that his Emperor had tried to convince him, was more than enough. He trusted his Emperor, respected him, and would always follow him. "Thank you, your majesty."

And so they stayed, waiting for when the attack would be pushed led away from the Royal Palace, or reach the quarters of the Emperor himself.

* * *

Sanada rushed towards the concubine's section of the Palace, panting, his own sword slashing through anyone who was in his way. He could hear the concubines screaming, trying to run, and he had to know, had to get to him, to his Yukimura, to know that his beloved was safe.

He could see him, then, amidst all the other concubines who were trying to escape, but surrounded by assassins with lewd grins, prowling around them like predators eyeing their prey. Sanada's lips pulled back into a snarl, watching, but unable to get there fast enough as 5 other enemies came charging to him at once.

He saw, in his attack, one of the assassins move to touch a redhead's hip, the one who the advisor favoured, he knew, but before said assassin could move one step further, he fell backwards, a shining arrow lodged in his chest, dead. The arrow gave a shimmer, then faded away into nothing.

Everyone gasped, crying out in terror, when Yukimura stepped out, sapphire eyes flashing with anger, looking more majestic and beautiful than ever, yet his feral beauty was, in itself, terrifying to behold.

"If any of you," He spat out, "Dares to touch even one strand of hair on anyone here, you will end up like him." He inclined his head to the dead assassin lying on the ground. "But, I assure you, your death will be _painful_."

The enemies roared, one of them shouting, "Who the hell do you think you are, you bastard!" He then charged towards Yukimura, who side stepped his attack swiftly, leg kicking up to knee him in the stomach, right arm pulling back and left arm making an arc, drawing a shining bow and arrow. He fired, shooting three arrows in rapid succession into the assassin's stomach, and two in his chest. The arrows, like before, shimmered before disappearing.

Said assassin fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, gasping for breath. His companions tried to save him, but upon trying to adminster medical attention, found that he could not be saved anymore.

Yukimura had shot the three arrows into his stomach, and the other two into his lungs.

The bluenette watched as the man writhed on the ground, gasping for breath his lungs could not contain, blood pouring from his wounds. He gave one last final twitch, a breath that sounded like a gargle, and lay motionless, torture ending at last.

Sanada watched in horror, the sadism that Yukimura had never shown to anyone. Even now, the concubine's lips pulled into a smile that bordered on insanity, turning to the remaining assassins, who were backing away.

"Anyone else interested?"

Behind him reared a golden-yellow image of a bird, but Sanada, unfamiliar with animals, could not identify what it was. It terrified the assassins, though, who apparently recognised it's symbolism and ran off the moment it appeared.

Finally killing the final assassin, Sanada made his way over to the still grinning concubine. "Yukimura," He said, not sure of what to tell him. Glazed sapphire orbs turned to focus on him, and he realised with a jolt of horror that this Yukimura was not the one he knew. Taking him by the shoulders, Sanada shook him, trying to get him out of his stupor. "Yukimura. Yukimura!"

The bluenette's smirk widened, right arm pulling back. "Is it your turn, then?"

"_Seiichi!_" Marui screamed, shoving Sanada out of the way and slapping Yukimura. The echo resonated once, twice, thrice, and faded away. Yukimura looked up, and he was fine again, eyes sharp and no longer glazed. Sanada nodded his gratitude to the redheaded concubine, who stared at him.

"Thank you, Bunta," Yukimura muttered, voice low. "I apologize for that, Sanada-san."

"Do not call me that, Yukimura," Sanada said. "I do not understand what happened, but we do not have to return to formalities."

Yukimura stayed silent for some time, then spoke up again, "Are you not afraid of what you saw, Sanada-san?"

"Yes," Sanada replied, for he was not one to lie. "But I am willing to understand, when all of this is over. I trust you can take care of them?" He gestured towards the other concubines.

Yukimura nodded mutely, Marui and Eiji standing by his side, and Sanada left, to protect his country.

* * *

"Is it really okay, to let him do such a thing?" A blond asked, laying with his head on another's lap.

The man who the question was directed to shook his head. "There is no way to stop him. Once he has made up his mind, nothing can change it."

"But doesn't he know that it will just hurt him in the end? It's not right to let him continue like this!"

"We've tried, love. Nothing convinces him."

A pout and a frown, and the blond sat up, not feeling sleepy, for once. He huffed, then turned to a woman who had just come into the room.

"Can't you do anything about it, then?"

The woman shook her head, eyes closing. "There is nothing we can do for him any longer. He has made up his mind, and any intervention taken by us will only lead to more of his suffering."

"In a way, it is good for us as well," The man said, sighing. "It will help us further our advancement, even though I do not wish to see any under me hurt because of this. We all know there is no stopping him now."

And behind the blond man, an ice blue shadow of a bird materialized.

* * *

Niou stood in the Emperor's quarters, tense and alert. A small part of him was wondering whether or not Marui was okay, but he knew that, no matter how much he loved the cheerful, annoying redhead, his duty to the country came first.

He had no idea where his lover was, the brown haired gentleman – Sanada had sent him somewhere else, and since then he hadn't had any contact with him. To be honest, he missed him, though he would never admit it as long as he could help it, but he really, really did.

Niou had never been an honest person, after all.

His ears pricked up at a slight sound, and he shifted his attention to the door. Drawing his sword out, he held it up in offense position, ready to attack the moment the wooden door slid open. He could see the shadows moving behind the door, and it slid open to reveal two men who dodged his attacks with lightning fast speed.

"Stop here," He taunted, "Or die."

The assassins smirked, ready to attack him, until a dagger flew past his left cheek, lightly scratching it and lodging itself into the wall. That type of throw...

"Swallow!" They gasped, diverting their attention to the small brunette standing in the Emperor's shadow. Said concubine moved in front of Tezuka, eyes open and flashing. In his hands, he held another pair of daggers, poised to attack.

"How many times," Fuji snarled, stalking forward, "Have I said that no one, _no one _is to harm the Emperor? How many times have I _emphasized that fact_?!" Half crazed, Fuji continued, ready to kill, until Tezuka caught him around the waist and stopped him.

"Syuusuke," Tezuka said. "Calm down. Do you know them, Syuusuke?" He didn't know what to make of this. His lover knew them, these assassins, but he was telling them not to hurt him. What was the objective, then?

Fuji turned to Tezuka, then looked away. "I'll explain later."

* * *

Yagyuu rode his horse, urging it on, needing to get back to the Royal Palace as quickly as he possibly could. Niou could be in danger, Marui could be in danger, _his home was in danger._

Above all, Yagyuu was afraid that the one place he could finally call home would be destroyed. He had no idea who the enemies were, but from what he could see from the shore, he could make a guess.

And Yagyuu did not like his guess.

He could remember, when he had first arrived in Japan, how everyone had left him alone, thinking him to be an oddity, from a faraway land where no one welcomed him either. They all shunned him, until a gang of thugs had tried to attack him. Skilled in martial arts and the way of the sword, Yagyuu had taken down eight of them at once, and had attracted the attention of the then Combat Captain, Sanada Genichirou.

The youth, same age as he had been, had taken him to his father and introduced him. From then on, they had worked together – they both enjoyed silence – and Sanada was the one who suggested he work with Niou.

He was forever grateful to Sanada, for helping him gain a place in Japan. To Niou, for accepting him for who he was without questions. And for his Emperor, who was the one who had trusted him enough to let him, an outsider, take his place in the Royal Army of Japan.

He had not been born here, but Yagyuu Hiroshi would do anything for Japan.

* * *

Fuji turned to Tezuka, after he had taken out the two assassins with experienced swipes of his twin daggers. He smiled, slowly, and made his way to his lover, arms wrapping around him. Relieved, Tezuka returned the embrace, holding Fuji tightly, protectively.

"Syuusuke-"

A pained gasp, and Tezuka lost the feeling in his legs. He fell to his knees, pain blurring his vision. He saw General Niou put out of commission with a blast of blue energy, and the words that he last heard before he was knocked unconscious hurt him more than the physical pain.

"No one can hurt you, because I am the only one who is allowed to, _your majesty_."

* * *

supremekikay24 – I might have disappointed you a little here. /laughs/ But honestly, this was planned all along, even before I had their progressing relationship planned.

Cheese Rice – I doubt you'd be confused about Fuji's role now! As for Yukimura's... Well, it hasn't really come to light, yet, here.

Aozora2502 – Pfft, Tezuka? Come after me? ... Oh. Okaaay. ._. /hides/ Yukimura knows, honestly, more about what Fuji is doing _than _Fuji, because our resident genius is actually an idiot sometimes. /oxymoronic/ Atobe? Maybe? xD

AelitaOfTheWolves – Thank you!

Guest – Still no name. /pouts/ Perfect Pair probably has the highest percentage of angst fics in the entire fandom, really. I'm not helping at all, but... xD Am I helping with your fangirling? ;3

Starry Night – Don't faint! Don't faint! Honestly, Shishido has no plan, since he's not the mastermind, who probably isn't who you think he is. /winkwinkhinthint/ I'm glad you liked the Perfect Pair in the previous chapter!


	8. Swallow's Reason, Eagle's Heartbreak

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 7 – Swallow's Reason, Eagle's Heartbreak

Words: 3,428

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

When Fuji had knocked out the Emperor, Yukimura came into the room, arms crossed and leaning against the frame of the door. He looked a little harried, but that was to be expected, while all Fuji did was stare at him while he gestured for his assistants to carry Tezuka out of the room.

"Your majesty!" Sanada said, rushing into the room to see the unconscious Emperor, eyes flicking from the smugly smirking Fuji to the nonchalant Yukimura standing at the door way. "Yukimura, did you know about this? That he..."

Fuji saw the flash of pain in Yukimura's eyes that Sanada was so quick to put the blame on him, but Yukimura did nothing except to raise a hand in Sanada's direction, a yellow blast of light sending him flying into the wall.

"Syuusuke," Yukimura said, coming into the room and barely glancing in Sanada's direction, even though Fuji knew that it was killing him not to care about the Commander. "Is this really, really what you want? Have you thought it through?"

The brunette laughed, a little maniacally, and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "I've thought about this moment for 4 years, Seiichi. There's nothing that I want more than to do this, and you know it." He stepped over to the Commander, feeling for a pulse. "Hm. You were gentle on him, Seiichi."

Yukimura gave Fuji a sharp glare. "You know that I can do nothing more than to knock him unconscious. Unlike you, I happen to care about him more than I want to exact revenge."

"That, my dear Seiichi, is because you don't have a grudge against Sanada-san," Fuji grit through his teeth. "Sanada-san did nothing to you and your family."

Unlike himself, Yukimura slammed a hand against the wooden door frame. "And how do you know that the Emperor did it? How do you know that he was there, that he'd actually been the one to carry it out? The King already said that he wasn't sure if the Emperor was the one to actually do it!"

A small, rueful small made its way onto Fuji's lips. "Because, Seiichi, I was there when he did it. I saw him kill them. My father, my mother and Yuuta. And I was too late, too weak to stop him. That brown hair, I would recognise it anywhere."

Sapphire eyes widened in response. As far as he had been working together with Fuji, the brunette had never revealed this much before. In the past, he'd always been secretive, never telling anyone his plans, and this was the most that he'd care to tell someone. On one hand, Yukimura was rather happy that Fuji actually trusted him enough to share this with him, but on the other, it made the burden that he carried on his shoulders that much heavier, to have the secrets and the pain of his best friend.

"I was too late, coming back from the Castle. If I hadn't been delayed by my own curiosity, then maybe I could've saved them. Maybe I could've called for help, called for reinforcements because I was still too young at that time, and I couldn't fight as well as I can now." Fuji looked away, eyes downcast and glazed with tears. "If I'd just taken my role more seriously, then maybe I could've saved them, but I refused to do it at that time, I thought that it was just a waste of my time."

Striding over to the brunette, Yukimura wrapped his arms around his slighter friend. "I'm sorry, Syuusuke. I didn't know."

Fuji laughed within the bluenette's embrace, burying his face in Yukimura's shoulder. "It's okay. I never told you, after all." He sighed, then pushed back, gesturing towards Sanada. "Go take care of him, Seiichi. I'll be leaving, now."

Nodding, Yukimura placed a chaste kiss on the crown of Fuji's head, the area glowing yellow before fading away. Fuji laughed, then flicked Yukimura at the exact same spot, the glow a royal blue, before fading away, just like the previous one. "Take care, Syuusuke."

A smile and a wink later, Fuji left the room via the balcony, jumping out and landing on the balls of his feet, sprinting off. Yukimura could only watch him, sigh, and then quickly run to Sanada and lift him out of the debris, holding him close and whispering apologies.

* * *

"Leave him there," Tezuka heard Fuji speak, watching as he was dragged into the cell and his wrists tied to the metal rings on the floor, and then his ankles to the same rings, causing him to have to kneel. "Now get out."

They nodded, bowed, and then left. He had awoken some time after they'd arrived at their destination, and he really had no idea what Fuji wanted with him. He was upset, confused, and most of all he felt betrayed. Why was Fuji doing this to him?

"How do you feel, my dear Emperor?" Fuji smirked, walking up to him. "You must be wondering why I've brought you here, and why I'm doing this to you, correct?"

Tezuka looked up at Fuji, his eyes burning with confusion and hurt. "Syuusuke, what-? Are you really with the assassins?"

Fuji smiled at him, sweetly, before retrieving a whip from behind where he stood. He tugged at it to make sure it was taut enough, before giving it a test, drawing his wrist back and flicking it down onto Tezuka's body, the _snap _was satisfying, and drew blood from the Emperor's back.

Tezuka gasped at the pain that laced through his body, jerking forward and tugging at his restraints. "Syuusuke..."

"Do you want to know why?" Fuji asked, eyes blazing as he brought the whip down again. "Why I'm doing this to you?"

He looked up, whispering a quiet 'yes' even though he was still trying to contain his cries at being whipped. Tezuka really wanted to know, because he couldn't stand the thought of his beloved being angry at him, and no matter what Fuji had done, or was doing, if he could make Fuji's anger go away, then they could go back to being Kunimitsu and Syuusuke.

Because no one had ever loved him, the way Syuusuke did. No one had ever seen past the mask of the Emperor to see the Man except for him, and for that Tezuka wanted nothing more than to spend his entire life with Fuji.

"Because you killed my family," Fuji replied with malice, bringing the blood-coated whip down once more, this time on Tezuka's left arm. "You killed the people I love, and for that, I hate you. I _hate _you."

Tezuka gasped, trying to stay awake despite the pain that was lacing up his spine. "Killed- what? Syuusuke, when-?"

"Beg me to stop, if you want me to, _Kunimitsu_," Fuji laughed, sneering as he brought the whip down again. "I'll break your stubborn pride, your dignity. I'll be the one to make you beg for your life, to beg for mercy. Beg me, your majesty."

Yet, even through the whipping, Tezuka stayed silent, gasps making their way through his lips. All he could think of was when he had killed Fuji's family, because even though his memory was close to perfect, he couldn't remember when he had. As far as he knew, he'd never given the order to kill anyone since his reign as Emperor started.

"Syuusuke, when..? I don't know..." He whispered, throat dry. "Syuusuke..."

A mad cry escaped Fuji as he brought down the whip to Tezuka's left arm again. "4 years ago! You killed them, you killed them all, barely gave me a glance and galloped away on your fucking horse! Don't tell me you don't know, because I know you were _there_!"

At the word 'there', Fuji threw the handle of the whip at Tezuka's left arm with so much strength he surprised himself. There was a loud crack as it made contact with the Emperor's elbow, and a loud cry of pain from said Emperor. Below the elbow, the hand hung limply, and Tezuka hissed his breath through his teeth, head bowed.

It was only then that Fuji realised he had broken Tezuka's arm.

His cerulean eyes widened in shock, and he wanted to run to the Emperor, to embrace him and heal him, but the part of him that rumbled in truimph held him back. He wanted to hurt the Emperor, as much as he had been hurt with the death of his family, and so he stayed where he was, and a laugh bubbled from his throat. "Does it hurt, Kunimitsu? Would you like me to bring you to bed and cuddle?"

Tezuka said nothing, looking down as he endured the pain. This person was not his Syuusuke, not the caring concubine that he had fallen in love with. The Syuusuke he knew was kind and loving, and he would never hurt anyone. He knew he was rather in denial, but he couldn't help it. "You're not... Syuusuke."

Throwing his head back in laughter, Fuji sneered, "Oh, but I am, Kunimitsu. Did you think I really loved you? Poor, poor Kunimitsu, falling into my trap."

_Did you think I really loved you?_

Warm chocolate eyes hardened in response, and Fuji received his most unexpected response – Tezuka laughed.

"I really am such a pathetic fool..."

Reeling back from shock, Fuji stared at Tezuka for a moment, before the Emperor continued.

"I actually thought... You loved me," He laughed again, bitterly. "I thought someone could love me... I thought it was you, Syuusuke." Tezuka continued to laugh, his shoulders shaking even as he looked down at the ground and his jaw was clenched. "In the end, it was all a lie, wasn't it? No one could love someone like me."

Fuji was torn. A part of him wanted to run to Tezuka, to kiss him and never let him go again, to apologise for what he was doing and to reassure him that he did love him, and that there actually were people who loved him. The other part revelled in the pain that the Emperor was going through, the pain of losing someone he loved dearly. Fuji wanted to smile at the fact that he had managed to inflict the same amount of emotional pain on the Emperor that he had gone through.

"I believed, actually believed that I was worth loving. Stupid, stupid Kunimitsu. You're not worth loving. _He_ left you, and now, even the one you... Even Syuusuke..."

Not able to take it any longer, Fuji went up to Tezuka and kicked him, hard, causing the Emperor to land on his side. The ex-concubine's lips parted at the tears that were swimming in Tezuka's eyes, and he took a step back, eyes widening.

"Even Syuusuke never loved you..." Was what he said before he gave in to the pain, and he fell unconscious once more. A single tear escaped his eye, falling onto the ground of the cell with a _plip_.

The brunette blinked at the unconscious Emperor, feeling his heart clench in pain at the thought of making his beloved cry. He knelt down and felt his own tears run down his face, biting his lip. He'd thought that this would be easy, that he could make his way into the Emperor's heart enough to earn his trust, then bring him down brutally, harshly, and he would make it away, unscathed.

He hadn't expected to fall in love with the Emperor.

Already crying, now, Fuji cursed himself, then ran out of the cell, leaving the injured Emperor alone as he vented his anger and frustration on his assistants, telling to spar with him and annihilating all of them brutally. Tears continued to stream down his face even as he sparred with them, injuring most of them, not fatally, but enough to hurt intensely.

_'Didn't I tell you that you would regret it?' _The voice in his head said, laughing at him, at his own pain. _'Didn't I say that you shouldn't have let him in?'_

Fuji screamed his frustration to the heavens, after he'd defeated all of his assistants, and fell to his knees, clutching at his hair. The Emperor had been nothing but kind to him, since they'd met, and Fuji couldn't imagine the other ever attacking anyone, especially in the way that he had. Stabbed Yuuta through the stomach, turned to look at him, and then left without so much as a backward glance. He couldn't see the Emperor in such a way, but it still remained a fact that he had.

His family was dead because of Emperor Jimchi. The man he loved.

* * *

When Sanada Genichirou opened his eyes, the last thing he had expected to see was Yukimura Seiichi, but it didn't change the fact that the concubine, was indeed, there. He sat up immediately, wincing as he clutched his side in pain, and attempted to leave the room.

"Sanada-san, please don't move. You're still injured," Yukimura spoke, quietly from where he sat beside the bed.

Ignoring the other, Sanada continued to stand up, almost stumbling in his haste to make it to the exit. He picked up his _katana_, which was lying on the floor near the door, and was 2 steps away from making it out before he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Sanada-san, please."

"Let go of me," Sanada growled, unsheathing his _katana _and moving away, shrugging the hand off when Yukimura didn't do as he said. He continued to limp, this time to General Niou, who was groaning his pain and sitting up as well. "Niou, are you all right?"

"Mmfine, Commander," Niou mumbled, scanning the room for the Emperor. "Where's his majesty?"

Sanada looked away for a moment, before he turned back to the General. "He's gone. I don't know where."

Yukimura had chosen this time to lay his hand on Sanada's shoulder again, his eyes downcast and sad. "Sanada-san, you are still injured. You as well, Niou-san, if you would allow me to heal you?"

Niou, upon that, grinned widely and said, "Yea, sure! If you can do it in a jiffy then we'll be able to find his majesty in no time. Nothing beats my skills, puri."

"No," Sanada said, "We're going now, Niou. We can have the physicians take a look at us before we leave."

"But Sanada-san-"

Spinning around and eyes flashing dangerously, Sanada did something he never though he'd do. His hand whipped out and slapped Yukimura across the face, sending him to the ground with a cry of pain. Niou shouted at him in surprise, but Sanada did nothing to help the concubine.

"Don't think that just because you knocked me out, I don't remember, _Yukimura-san. _You were here, with the Emperor. With the other concubine, Fuji. You were with him, you helped him take the Emperor away. For what, I don't know, but when you betray this country, when you betray the ruler of this country, you betray me. I don't care if you were the one who helped me to the bed, and I don't know why you did that. But if you think that you can redeem yourself just by taking care of me after you put my Emperor and my entire country into jeopardy, then you're dead wrong."

Yukimura said nothing, from his position on the ground, while Niou stared, flabbergasted, his eyes flicking from the Commander to the concubine every few seconds. "Helped take the Emperor away...?"

"Let's go, Niou."

Sanada walked away, his steps as heavy as his heart, Niou following after a slight hesitance. He had no intention of harming Yukimura, but when he'd been attacked by the bluenette, knocked out to, upon awakening, realize that the Emperor was gone, he had no choice. His duty to the nation came first, and, whether or not he loved the concubine didn't matter, not when he had committed such a crime.

Back in the room, Yukimura remained as he was, hand on his cheek where Sanada had hit him. It was the first time he wanted to hate his best friend, even after they'd been together for so long. Fuji was the reason Sanada hated him now; if the brunette hadn't been so hell-bent on revenge, then he would still be together with Sanada right now. Yet, he told himself that that would be entirely selfish of him. If he'd been in Fuji's place, if Sanada had been the one to kill his family, he knew Fuji would do no less for him.

So he stood up, refusing to hate his best friend, and dusted himself off. His palm glowed yellow, before the pain was taken away, and he left through the door, walking in the direction opposite of where Sanada had gone. With a gust of wind, Yukimura was gone, golden shimmers left in his place, which disappeared after a few seconds, as well.

* * *

"He's still hurting himself!"

"I can't do anything to help him, Jirou."

"But you're the King of England!"

"That doesn't mean I can control him. You've seen yourself how it turns out when people try to tell him what to do."

"But he's hurting himself!"

Atobe Keigo sighed, massaging his temples. He was beginning to regret the decision to ever let Fuji do what he wanted to do, on his own accord. Deep down, he knew, even if he had refused to admit it until recently, Fuji Syuusuke was a lot more powerful than he was, and he brunette had the ability to blast a hole through him, if he so wanted to.

"Jirou-san, you know that nothing can stop Syuusuke, now."

The blond looked up at the brown haired woman, pouted, and continued to lay with his head in the King's lap. "I know that, but Fuji's just going to hurt himself if he continues like this."

"Yumiko," The King drawled, but the Queen could hear the anxiety in his voice, "Is there no way that we could change Fuji's mind?" As uncaring as he seemed, Yumiko knew her husband well, and that he was very concerned for her younger brother, as everyone seemed to be at the moment.

She shook her head, "No."

A sigh, and the King leaned back against his throne. "I thought so."

* * *

The next day that Fuji walked back into the cell, he'd expected the Emperor to be awake – he'd told his assistants that he wanted the Emperor awake, and no one had dared to disobey him when he was upset – and he was. Smirking, he walked up to the brunette, putting one hand under his chin to jerk his face up.

"How are you feeling, your majesty?"

Tezuka did not reply, his eyes blank and empty. Fuji's eyebrow twitched, and he nudged the Emperor with his foot. "I asked you a question, Kunimitsu, and normally, when one is asked a question, one answers."

"...How do you expect me to feel?"

"What?"

Tezuka looked up, chocolate eyes suddenly burning. "How do you expect me to feel? In one day, from the Emperor of Japan, I become a hostage of the person I thought loved me. I am betrayed by the person I let closest to me, and you ask me how I feel?"

Fuji, shocked at how the normally stoic Emperor had spoken so much, reeled back. His mind processed the words he had said, and for a moment he had nothing to say.

_'I believed, actually believed that I was worth loving.'_

_'I really am such a pathetic fool...'_

_Relieved, Tezuka returned the embrace, holding Fuji tightly, protectively._

_'It was my mother's gift from my father. She gave it to me with strict instructions that I hand it to the person I loved.'_

_'I want you to. I give you permission, and as my lover, I believe you are entitled to that.'_

_'I think I'm in love with you.'_

_'I love you, Fuji Syuusuke.'_

The Emperor remained silent, after that, and Fuji, not daring to face him after the memories that flooded him, ran out once more.

* * *

I think I'll let this chapter speak for itself. Any reviews will be replied next chapter.

Read and Review? (;


	9. Swallow's Regret, Eagle's Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 8 – Swallow's Regret, Eagle's Memories

Words: 2,727

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

_A six year old Tezuka stood silently as he gazed out at the plain of grass, face obscured by a hood. His parents had brought him here, to this country, and due to him not knowing anyone, he was bored, and had nothing to do. He sighed, and turned around to see another boy looking at him, smiling serenely with his hands clasped behind his back. All Tezuka could see was that smile of his, for like Tezuka himself, a hood covered his face._

_Blinking, he continued to stare at the boy, who leaned forward, smile widening. "What are you doing here?" He asked in English. _

"_My parents are here on business," Tezuka replied, as though that explained everything. Tezuka should've been with the other heirs to the throne, but many of them were arrogant and snobbish, and Tezuka didn't like to socialize with them._

_The boy laughed in apparant delight, "That's awesome! So you're not from here?" He asked, bursting into laughter seconds after. _

_Tezuka raised an eyebrow, having perfected that at a young age, then shook his head. "No, I'm not." _

_Pouting, the boy poked him. "You're no fun! Do you have a name, then? My name is Jou!"_

_Honestly, he didn't want to reveal his name – years of vigilance instilled into him by his grandfather told him that he shouldn't let his guard down, but the boy was grinning so expectantly at him, and he somehow didn't want to disappoint him. "...Hikaru. Isn't Jou a Japanese name?"_

_Gleefully, the boy took his hands, "You're the first one to know! My mother is Japanese, and my father's English! I have both a Japanese name and an English name! Hikaru... That means 'light', doesn't it?"_

_Tezuka nodded, and the boy looked so proud of himself that Tezuka couldn't help but give a small smile. _

"_Ah! You smiled!" Jou exclaimed, "You smiled, I made you smile!"_

_Chocolate eyes widened, then softened, as he finally returned the grip of Jou's hand. "Hn." Maybe, just maybe, he had found a friend here, and he wouldn't be bored for the rest of his stay._

_Jou looked up at him, grinning widely. "Maybe when we meet again, you'll take off your hood and let me see your face, ne?"_

_Remaining silent for a while, then giving in, Tezuka looked back at the plain of grass. "Perhaps. Maybe you will, too."_

* * *

"Good morning, Kunimitsu," Fuji purred as he came into the cell, eyes bright with malice and two men pushing a cart behind him. "I've brought you some breakfast. You must be hungry, after not having eaten for so long."

Tezuka said nothing, even though he was starving, merely glared up at Fuji in defiance. He would not degrade himself to that standard – broken though he was, he still had his pride – and he would not resort to playing any of the brunette's games.

"The appetizer, Kunimitsu, is salt," Fuji grinned. "Japanese people like salt, don't you? Everything you eat has salt in it. Really, it's unhealthy," He mused, playing with the salt, grabbing a handful and letting it slip through his fingers.

Smiling sadistically, Fuji grabbed another handful and walked up to Tezuka, jerking his head up and forcing his mouth open by pressing just below his lower lip. He pushed the salt into his mouth, making the Emperor gag and cough, some of it going down his throat and making him hack uncontrollably.

"Do you like it, Kunimitsu? I had it specially imported from Japan," Fuji laughed, taking another handful. This time, however, he went behind Tezuka, and ripped off the shirt he was wearing. A maniacal grin made its way to his lips, and he pressed his salt covered palm to the wounds on the brunette's back, making him cry out in pain. Bubbling laughter resounded as Fuji continued this for an hour or so, sometimes sprinkling the salt onto his wounds, sometimes pressing it in, rubbing and massaging it into the skin, into the wounds, causing intense pain.

Tezuka grit his teeth, determined not to make single sound as he bowed his head, but even with his high tolerance for pain, his weakened body couldn't take it much longer, and he fell unconscious once more.

Slapping him to make sure that the Emperor was, indeed, knocked out, Fuji sent his assistants out of the cell, and leaned against the wall until they did. Then, he let his tears fall, biting his lower lip as he ran to the Emperor, holding him close and bandaging his wounds for him. The salt had had two uses, one which he had used to torture the Emperor, but the other was to heal the wounds, a way which would do him good but would cause pain as well, appeasing both sides of him at this moment.

"I'm sorry, Kunimitsu," Fuji sobbed, lifting a cup of water to the man's lips and making him drink, pouring the liquid down his throat so that he wouldn't be dehydrated, what with all the salt his body had to deal with. "I'm sorry- Why did you have to kill my family?"

He unlinked the chains that held his beloved to the floor, pulling them from their loops and unshackling him with his magic. The chains were ones that only he could undo, only with his special brand of magic could they be unlocked, and thus no one else could take him away. He sat Tezuka on the floor, leaning against the wall but not putting too much weight on his injuries, cleaning his face with a warm washcloth, much like the way the Emperor did to him before. Sobs made their way out of his throat as he cleaned the Emperor, seeing all the pain that he had inflicted on him, and he couldn't stop crying, but at the same time, he couldn't stop wanting to hurt him.

"Syuusuke," Yukimura's voice sounded, and Fuji spun around instantly, watching the bluenette appeared in a shower of golden sparkles. He ran to his friend, who looked dead upon his feet, blue hair in a mess and face sunken in, eyes empty and unfeeling.

He looked the way Tezuka did.

Fuji's lips trembled, as he ran his palms over Yukimura's face. "Seiichi, what happened to you? Why do you look so... Empty?"

Yukimura leaned into Fuji's touch, laughing humourlessly as he shook his head. "It's nothing, Syuusuke. I'm fine, really. You don't have to worry about me."

"But this is my fault, isn't it?" Fuji cried, brows furrowing in distress. "If I hadn't asked you to help me, then this wouldn't have happened. Is it because of Sanada-san? Did he not listen to your explanation, Seiichi?"

Grabbing onto his best friend's hands, Yukimura held them firmly. "Syuusuke, you know very well that Sanada-san is a very hot headed person, of course he wouldn't have listened to my explanation. Listen to me, Syuusuke. You're my best friend, and I love you. I know if I were in your situation instead, you would have done the exact same thing for me, so don't beat yourself up about it. Do you hear me?"

The brunette whimpered, falling into his best friend's embrace as he teared. He didn't want to hurt any of the people he had hurt, not Seiichi, not Sanada-san and certainly not Kunimitsu, but because he was selfish and he was stuborn he had hurt so many of them, despite saying that he was going to protect them. And now, because of his own stupidity, Seiichi had lost the man that he loved, and there was pretty much nothing that Fuji could do to help him.

Why was he such a fool?

"I'm sorry," He murmured, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

And Yukimura could do nothing but hold his best friend in his arms, knowing that, as much as he wanted to assure Fuji that nothing was his fault, it would be a lie.

* * *

"_Hikaru!" The boy cheered, running towards Tezuka with a huge grin on his face, and despite that being all that he could see on the other boy's face, the Crown Prince of Japan gave a small, nearly-there smile. "You're here, already!"_

_Tezuka nodded, "Hn."_

"_Was it because you wanted to see me?" Jou laughed, then took out a package he had kept in his pocket. "I made these for you, they're called scones!"_

_Hesitating, but giving in soon after, Tezuka took a piece, brought it up to his lips and bit into it. His eyes widened at the taste, slightly sweet, but not overwhelming, it was good, especially for someone like him, who did not prefer sweets._

"_They're good," Tezuka said, having finished his own, and Jou was muching on his second. A laugh bubbled from Jou's mouth, gleefully happy. _

"_I'm glad you like it, Hikaru!"_

_Jou then yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. He lay his head down on the grass, hands behind his head to prop it up. "I think I'm going to sleep for a while, ne, Hikaru? You'll look after me, won't you?"_

_Normally, Tezuka would not have wanted to look after someone, but Jou was smiling up at him so expectantly, that he had no choice – not that he could resist that smile, anyways – but to nod and agree. "Hn"_

"_Yay!" Jou cheered, "I knew Hikaru would agree! Also, no peeking at my face while I'm sleeping, okay?"_

_Tezuka sighed and ruffled Jou's hair playfully. "Go to sleep."_

_Grinning widely, and tugging his hood up to hide the upper part of his face, Jou snuggled up to Tezuka, wrapping his fingers tightly around the cloth of Tezuka's robe. _

_Tezuka smiled._

* * *

The next time Tezuka woke up, he found that his wounds had been treated, that he no longer felt like he was dying of thirst, and that there was someone sitting next to him.

"You are..."

Yukimura looked up from where he was sitting, hair covering his face. Turning to the Emperor, he gave a small nod, then returned to looking back at nothing in particular.

"You... Knew?"

A sigh. "Of course I knew. You suspected, did you not?"

At this, Tezuka had nothing to say. Of course he had suspected, what with Fuji and Yukimura being such good friends. They both had the same unearthly blue eyes, signalling that they were from a country that was not Japan. Upon being captured by Fuji, the Emperor had immediately known that, despite being rather skilled Fuji would not have been able to pull all of it off alone; Yukimura was the logical one to suspect.

"Were you the one who cleaned my wounds?"

Yukimura smiled softly, not giving anything away yet not hiding anything. An enigma, like always, he reached out with a single hand, so that a bright blue butterfly may land on his outstretched finger. "The Blue Morpho butterfly. It flits about from here, to there, staying with other types of butterflies, or even other types of insects, depending on whichever it fancies. No one has ever been able to find out why they are so easily captivated. Most of the time, their captivation ends with their death."

"Was I the one to clean your wounds, Emperor Jimchi?"

Ever the observant ruler, Tezuka noticed something wrong in the light of Yukimura's eyes. He did not know, however, whether to trust the seemingly sad glint that he found. Perhaps he was really upset, for one reason or another, or perhaps this was another ruse – one that he would not fall for – to get him to surrender, or even subject him to even more torture.

"That is something for you to tell me, isn't it?"

Yukimura laughed, sadly, humourlessly, as the Blue Morpho flew, like a moth, towards the candle flame that lit up the cell. They both watched together, silently, as the butterfly, captivated by the light that the candle gave up, flew towards the flame, ever higher, ever higher, until it reached the source of heat, and was burnt to its death.

"Fuji is the Blue Morpho," Yukimura said, smiling softly, "And you are his candle flame, Emperor Jimchi."

Tezuka stared at Yukimura, then shook his head. "It is the other way round."

Yukimura gave the Emperor a small chuckle. "That is what you think, your Majesty."

"If, it is as you say, that Syuusuke is the Blue Morpho, then are you not the Holly Blue, Yukimura?" Tezuka asked, staring at the concubine with dark hazel eyes.

The blue haired concubine turned, raising an eyebrow, "Why would you associate me with the Holly Blue?"

"Because, Yukimura, I can tell that you are in love with Commander Sanada," Tezuka replied, seeing Yukimura's eyes widen. It felt strange, to be talking to him, here, when he could have been asking the bluenette to free him, in exchange for the Commander's life. But he was not that kind of man, to threaten another for his own, and he knew, through the friendship of the two, that Yukimura would not release him even if he begged. "The Holly Blue, first generation, you are Yukimura, because, like the Holly Blue, you cannot live without Sanada. Very much like the butterfly, you flit about, looking for a home, but in the end you must return to the Holly fields, for that is the only place that you are able to feed. Where the second generation may feed on other foodplants, you are restricted to one. For you, Yukimura, your Holly is Commander Sanada."

Yukimura stared silently at the Emperor. "You knew?"

"Always," Tezuka replied. "I am not as oblivious as many think I am."

The blue haired man stared at Tezuka, almost as though in disbelief. He seemed to want to retort to that comment, but he knew he had no way to, not when a secret he had tried so hard to keep was seen through by the very one they had sought to hide it from.

"Were you the one to clean my wounds, Yukimura?" Tezuka asked one more time.

A soft, barely there smile, and Yukimura stood up. He walked towards the Emperor, leaning down to place a small kiss on Tezuka's head, a sign of affection, of understanding. He remained silent even as he walked to the exit, but just before he walked out of the door, he inclined his head slightly back to look at Tezuka from his peripheral vision. "I am the Holly Blue, your majesty."

That was all the answer that Tezuka needed.

* * *

Fuji looked at Yukimura from afar, watched as he came up from the underground cell that he kept Tezuka in. He knew that his best friend had gone down to visit the Emperor, but for his own sanity's sake, he'd chosen not to follow. He had wanted to approach the blue haired male, but a small sigh made its way out of Yukimura's lips, and Fuji stalled.

Yukimura's right hand moved in an arch high above his head, creating a yellow portal from that portal down to the ground. He smiled sadly, and even from where Fuji was, he could make out the image of Sanada that Yukimura had conjured up. Not being able to see him in person after having been rejected almost flat-out by the guy, Yukimura had to settle for looking at him through a portal to check if he was okay.

All because of him.

Fuji's eyes hardened, and he turned to leave, disappearing in an explosion of dark blue sparkles.

Sanada Genichirou was on his horse, barking out orders, before dismounting. He didn't want to stop, honestly, not until he'd found the Emperor, but the horses were tired, and they had no leads whatsoever. There was literally nothing they could do.

He leaned down to the river, splashing water on his face almost aggressively. He looked up, letting the water drip down his chin and back into the running water, and saw Fuji Syuusuke on the opposite bank, staring at him.

"You."

* * *

I hope this satisfies some of you, even though I'm not very pleased with it.

Reviews:

Fanfiction Lover 2012 – Well, Fuji has very conflicting feelings right now. We all know he would go to great lengths to protect anyone or anything he loves, after all.

Cheese Rice – I was wondering who you were, when you reviewed 2 chapters ago. ;3 But you specified, so now I remember you! xD Ah, Emperor Jimchi is Tezuka's Emperor name, which I first mentioned in chapter 3. Fuji's his own worst enemy right now, though.

CRAZEMisaki – Greedy little pig. -3- Is food all you think about? No, he does not, and _fat chance if I resolve it so soon pfft._

Supremekikay24 – Bad? Me? Why, thank you. ;3 Nah, just kidding, but I hope you like this update! 8D

Guest – I want to know you! D8 /runs away from your boyfriend/ Thank you for the compliment! It's too much, but really pleases me. ;3 Sanada's worried about his Emperor, but when your country is at stake, I think it's easy to lose your temper so easily. Well, _he _is the cause of all this, really, so that's a clue.

Starry Night – Tezuka's such a misunderstood man, isn't he? So is Yukimura. Technically everyone in this chapter is misunderstood. ;3 Yumiko, was, admittedly, not in my plan at first, until I made a few tweaks to the plot. Thank you for the compliment, and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, as well.

SUPAIN – Thank you! I hope you like this chapter, too!

Shuzuka – Fuji doesn't know if he wants revenge more, or if he wants to stay with Tezuka more, which is why he's so hesitant about everything. He wants to torture him, to kill him, but at the same time he wants to kiss him, to cuddle him. It's not twisted, that you want a tragic ending, since it does fit with the atmosphere, now, but I do already have the ending planned out, and major plot points slotted in from now till the epilogue, so the rest is just fleshing those ideas out, and adding, and tweaking. I hope I won't disappoint you!

Vegibee – Well, Fuji does have his own personal reasons, like the death of his family. I can honestly tell you, without revealing anything else, that no characters in this fic will commit suicide, so you don't have to worry about that. ;3

Guest – Second guest! I don't know how to differentiate between the 2 of you so...? Yes, I do have the ending planned out, so do stay with me throughout it all!

Lemon-and-chai – I, honestly, never thought that you would review any works of mine, and would like to tell you that I love your work so much. xD I do that a lot of the time, staying up late to read fics. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed his chapter, as well!


	10. Swallow's Shock, Eagle's Hatred

Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis. By writing this piece of fanfiction, I do not claim it for any commercial use, and it is meant to be read by fans, for no charge. The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Any original characters will be stated as such.

Title: Swallow's Song, Eagle's Eye: Chapter 9 – Swallow's Shock, Eagle's Hatred

Words: 4,061

Chapter Rating: T

* * *

"Good afternoon to you as well, Commander Sanada," Fuji replied coolly, leaning against the trunk of a tree, hidden by the shade of its leaves. "I trust you are doing well?"

Sanada's eyes narrowed, even as his hand moved to the _katana _by his side. "Where is the Emperor?"

Laughing sweetly, Fuji gazed at the naive Commander. Did he really think that he would release the Emperor just because the Commander asked him to? Or actually tell him where his captive was when he had gone through so much just to capture him in the first place? Honestly. "My dear, dear Commander, did you really expect me to answer your question?"

Keeping silent, Sanada stared at the other. It didn't matter how much the once concubine made fun of him, as long as he could find the Emperor, he would go through anything, even be degraded by the enemy. Granted, he was a very proud man, but this was the Emperor, his best friend, and he if he didn't find a way to get him back, then he wasn't Sanada Genichirou.

"Well, anyway, that wasn't my point in coming here," Fuji stated cheerfully. He pushed himself off the tree with one swift kick, daggers flashing out from under the sleeves of his robe, striking.

Forever the quick Commander, Sanada's _katana_ was unsheathed, just in time to parry the attack that otherwise would have taken his head off. "Why are you here, then?"

Fuji's eyes flashed at the question, as though he had thought that Sanada already knew why he was here – wasn't it obvious, really? There was only one reason that he would actually bother to visit this man – and should have given him a proper explanation.

"What did you do to Seiichi?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked you what you did!" Fuji screamed, slashing his daggers in a blue glowing cross, before sending it flying towards the Commander. Sanada held the palm of his hand across his blade, bringing it up to his face to block the attack as much as he could. He was at a clear advantage here, he could tell, since Fuji apparently, like Yukimura, was well-versed with magic. He, however, was not, and could only depend on his physical abilities. "He came to me, yesterday, and he was _empty_!"

Sanada grit his teeth as he continued to parry with Fuji. "He betrayed this country. As a citizen of Japan, he should have-"

"_Yukimura isn't from Japan!_"

That stopped Sanada short. "Wha-" A blast of wind knocked the Commander off of his feet, sending him flying into a tree. He cringed at his injuries, then struggled to stand. "T-Tarundoru..."

"Commander, you're hurt," Yagyuu said, appearing beside the raven haired male. "Niou, take him to camp to rest." He ran his hand over the Commander's injuries, feeling them, a small frown on his face. Unsheathing his own _katana_, Yagyuu stood in front of Sanada. "Go, Commander."

Sanada glared at Yagyuu as though he had been asked to swallow a jar of beetles. "No. Yagyuu, get out of the way." He tried to stand, but in the end fell to the ground again, groaning from his injuries, which seemed to be getting worse by the second – and they were.

Fuji giggled, "Yes, Yagyuu, get out of the way~ Adults have work to do, you know."

Raising an eyebrow, Yagyuu kicked off from the ground, flying towards the brown haired male. "If I remember correctly, Fuji-san, I am older than you are." His _katana _sliced through the air, carving a way for him towards Fuji even with the wind that his opponent was using to attack him with.

Gritting his teeth, Fuji continued their murderous dance, sending blasts of wind from all directions at the General. _'How does he know how to evade my magic...?'_

"Niou!" Yagyuu called, not breaking concentration from the battle. "Bring the Commander back to his tent! Now!"

Eyes narrowed, Niou nodded, half dragging his pained superior onto his back, and rushing towards camp as quickly as he could. Damn, Sanada was heavy – all the muscle mass making him heavier than the average man.

"I apologise, Fuji-san," Yagyuu said, parrying and blocking the attacks, once he had made sure that Niou and Sanada were out of sight, "But playtime is over." He brought his _katana_ back, then thrust it forward at once, sending a blinding ray of light at the other. "_Laser Beam,_" He murmured under his breath.

Caught off guard by the sudden use of magic, Fuji was thrown back by the startingly fast beam. He managed to pull up a half-formed shield in front of him, blocking the worst of the damage. Energy sapped, he opened his eyes to glare with full intensity at the General. "You..."

He caught a glimpse of Yagyuu's eyes behind his glasses, however, and his eyes widened. Pushing himself onto his elbows, Fuji whispered, "Impossible."

"Anything is possible, my dear High Priest," Yagyuu replied coolly, sheathing his _katana_, then turned around to leave. "I hope you've been doing well."

"Why did you leave, Tyron Rye?"

Yagyuu stiffened, said nothing, then continued walking back to camp.

* * *

_Why did you leave, Tyron Rye?_

Yagyuu walked back to camp, to see Niou just coming out of Sanada's tent. He received a nod from his partner, who then raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you take care of him? Fuji, I mean."

Pushing up his glasses, Yagyuu kept silent again. Niou sighed and pat Yagyuu on the back. "Be careful, alright, Hiroshi? Don't keep beating yourself up about it, it wasn't your fault, back then."

_But it was, _Yagyuu thought, _You don't know, Masaharu, because I haven't told you anything. But it is my fault. All of this is._

* * *

Fuji seethed, tending to his own injuries as he leaned against the trunk of the tree. A shower of yellow sparkles in front of him told him who was coming, and he averted his gaze from the furious bluenette in front of him.

"Syuusuke," Yukimura started, his smile sickeningly sweet. "May I ask what you were doing, telling Sanada-san about me?"

When Yukimura was in that kind of mood, it was probably not good for anyone to be anywhere near him at all. Unfortunately, Fuji didn't have enough magic at the moment to heal himself and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. It was either he get out, of he heal himself. Not wanting to spend the rest of his time cringing in pain from Yagyuu's attack, he settled for healing himself.

"It's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you, Syuusuke, didn't you know?" Yukimura continued, his eyes flashing in anger. "Why did you tell Sanada-san?"

"Because he's a dense idiot," Fuji retorted. "He's retarded, he's stupid, and he doesn't even know what's going on. And then he blames you for it. None of this was your fault. It was _my_ fault, and he acts as if the world is behind you, and against him. I've never seen you so upset, Seiichi," His voice suddenly went low. "I've never seen you so upset, and it's all because of me."

Yukimura took a breath, as though to calm himself down, but in reality he had no idea what to say to that. As much as he wanted to deny it, what Fuji said was true, and Yukimura was not one to deny the truth when it was right in his face. Even if denying it would make Fuji feel slightly better, in the long run the brunette would just feel that much worse because he would know that his best friend had lied for him.

No matter what he had done, Yukimura didn't want that for Fuji.

"I'm sorry, Seiichi," Fuji whispered. "Nothing is going right, is it? I'm being an idiot."

Giggling to break the sombre mood, and causing Fuji to look up, Yukimura smiled. "Yes, you are, Syuusuke. You're being an idiot."

A small, sad smile made its way to Fuji's lips. "I know."

Holding out his hand for his friend, Yukimura pulled him up. "I'll bring us back. Honestly, Syuusuke, you owe me for this."

"I hate your brand of magic," Fuji pouted.

Sticking his tongue out at Fuji, Yukimura blew a raspberry, just like he had when they were children. "Tough. You're the one who came here and blew all your magic on blocking that attack. Now you're going to have to suffer for it."

Fuji cringed, then hid his face in the taller's chest. Yukimura's magic sucked, but only to those he was bringing along. All senses were lost, and he could hear, couldn't see, his senses impaired. It was a terrifying experience, even for the most frequent magic users. Yukimura wasn't affected by this, probably because he was the host for the magic. He didn't know how long it had been, not knowing anything, but they eventually came to rest on the field Yukimura had been looking at Sanada from.

"It was only a few seconds, Syuusuke, come on," Yukimura pinched his cheek playfully.

Shrugging, he walked down towards the cell, intending to check on Tezuka for a while, before coming up to spend his time with Yukimura. "You're one to talk. You don't even know what it feels like."

"Point."

Fuji gave Yukimura a little wave, before disappearing down the stairs to Tezuka's cell. He played with his magic a little, sending them to the candles on the walls and making them burn a little brighter. He put on a fake, cheery smile when he saw Tezuka, leaning against the wall with his eyes open.

"Good afternoon, your majesty," Fuji trilled. "Did you have a nice meal? I trust you finished all of it. It took a long time to prepare it, so I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."

All of Tezuka's initial thoughts about talking civilly to Fuji disappeared from his mind. His conversation with Yukimura had led him to believe that it was Fuji would cleaned his wounds, after he'd been tortured both with the whip and the salt, but from the way he was talking now, Tezuka doubted very much that it was Fuji who had helped him. There was no way that his cold blooded person would ever help him.

"I enjoyed it very much, thank you for asking," Tezuka replied. He hadn't been saying anything to Fuji's questions and snide remarks, but he would no longer act the docile, submissive little child who gave in to everything their master said without quesiton. "Did you come down here to bring me dessert, perhaps? I would appreciate it."

Pausing at Tezuka's sudden hostility towards him, Fuji's mind went into overdrive. Did Tezuka already hate him that much? Or was Tezuka planning something? Had he found a way to alert Sanada, and inform him of where he was? To be perfectly honest, Fuji had no idea what he wanted to do with Tezuka, to keep him here forever, or to kill him when he got bored, and he was afraid of anything that might possibly happen to the Emperor.

Trying to be slightly less violent, Fuji paced towards Tezuka. "Is there anything you would prefer, then?"

Chuckling to himself as though Fuji had just made a joke that he found amusing, Tezuka shook his head. "Nothing, dear Syuusuke. Perhaps I would wish for the old you to return, but now I'm starting to realise that he never existed in the beginning."

_No! _Fuji wanted to cry. _He does exist, he does, it's just that I'm confused and I don't know if I want to hurt you more, or if I want to stay with you forever more, and please Kunimitsu, please don't do this to me. Even though I don't know what to do, having you hate me like this would be ten times more painful than killing you. _

At this, Fuji could say nothing. He wanted to deny it, but knew that at this point in time, whatever he said would make no difference to the other. He had betrayed his trust, betrayed his love when he was the only one that the Emperor had ever dared to open himself up to, there was obviously no way that he would be forgiven easily, if at all.

"I'm being serious," Fuji said. "If there's anything you need..."

He hadn't expected Tezuka to start laughing hysterically. He had heard the Emperor's chuckle, and heard him snigger once or twice, and had seen him smile, but never had he heard the man's laughter. Especially one that was so cynical, so sarcastic it was almost as though it could slice through his bones. Did Tezuka already hate him that much?

"No, Syuusuke, no, there's nothing I need. There's a lot that I want, because yes, despite everything, I am a selfish man. But no, Syuusuke, there is nothing of great importance that I _need_.

_Why am I treating like this? _Tezuka thought. _Why am I trying so hard to push him away when he's trying to make peace with me? Is it because I don't feel secure? Or that I feel he would deceive me again, and use this as a reason to make fun of me, and chide me for my emotional weaknesses? Syuusuke, why did you have to do this to me?  
_

Sighing deeply, Fuji nodded. "Very well, then. I try to speak with you, not as equals, perhaps, but I was being civil. If this is the way you retort, then I'd rather we not speak at all." The brunette turned swiftly, trying to contain the tears that were threatening to spill, and walked out.

After the door closed behind him, Tezuka punched the wall.

* * *

"_Oh Tyron, we're so proud of you. You've finally managed to enter the High Army of England, and as a Combat Captain as well. We didn't think you'd make it this far, but we're still so, so proud of you."_

"_You've done your old man proud, son. Keep this up, especially when you're in battle, okay? Show the Generals what you can do, and one day you'll be a fine Commander, that I can confirm."_

_Tyron stood in front of the mirror, his brown hair neat as always. He pushed his spectacles up, adjusting them so that he had almost perfect eyesight, and nodded. "I will, father, mother. I won't disappoint you."_

_His father came up to him, and ruffled his perfect hair, to which he jerked away and frowned at the older. "Father, please!"_

"_So stiff, my son," His father chuckled, "Very well, Tyron, we won't keep you. You'll be busy in the army, but remember to come back and visit your old folks once in a while, yea?"_

_A smile, and Tyron turned to his parents. "Of course."_

"_Wake up, Yagyuu!"_

"_Father? Mother?" Tyron asked, frowning. His parents turned to each other, and shrugged at him. "Did you say something?"_

"_Say anything?"_

"_Yagyuu, come on!"_

"_That voice, where's it coming from?"_

"_Tyron, there isn't any voice."_

"_Hiroshi!"_

With a start, Yagyuu woke up, sweat beading on his forehead. He could vividly remember his dream – no, not a dream, but a memory – and he curled in on himself, not wanting to let Niou see him so vulnerable.

"Hiroshi, come on," Niou whispered, gently kissing his forehead. "If you don't want to tell me anything, that's fine, but don't shut me out like this. Let me help."

Slowly, almost excruciatingly slowly, Yagyuu uncurled himself, falling into his lover's embrace. Niou rubbed his back, calming him down some, and pushed his fringe away from his face. A small sigh to show how exasperated he was, and Niou pressed a small, chaste kiss to his lips. "Are you all right, Hiroshi? You've been having these nightmares for some time, haven't you?"

He didn't want to reveal anything, when he hadn't told Niou the whole truth – he'd told Niou nothing close to the whole truth, even though they were lovers, because Yagyuu was insecure, and so, so afraid that when he did, Niou would leave him.

"Yes, I, I'm quite fine, Masaharu, thank you," Yagyuu said, falling back onto his bed and pulling Niou down with him. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry yourself too much about me, okay?"

Niou wanted to flick Yagyuu's forehead. "How can I not worry? Ever since the Emperor went missing, you've been acting weirder and more secretive. You're not telling me things, Hiroshi, and to be honest, it's getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry, Masaharu," Yagyuu replied. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

* * *

"Syuusuke?" Yukimura asked, concerned, when Fuji came out of the cell, almost crying. He could see the tears threatening to fall, and he ran forward to hold his best friend. "What's wrong?"

Sniffling, Fuji hid his face in Yukimura's chest, trusting in his best friend to let him cry, and not make fun of him for it. "He hates me, Seiichi," Fuji choked out, "Kunimitsu hates me, and I don't know what to do."

Oh.

Yukimura had expected this to happen, of course, no one could be tortured, especially by the one they loved for so long, and not hate them, no matter how strong their mutual feelings had been. Fuji, after all, had not given the Emperor any clue that he still loved him – or had loved him at all. He'd been lied to, or so he thought, betrayed, kidnapped, and then torutured and almost killed, all by the man he believed loved him.

The Emperor was a ticking time bomb that had just detonated.

He'd try to slow it down, really, and he thought he'd succeeded, after speaking to the Emperor in a series of metaphors to inform the ruler that Fuji did not actually wish to cause him harm, even though he may think so. Perhaps his reaction was because he'd been pushed too far by Fuji, and had begun to think that everything the petite brunette did was just to mess with him.

It wasn't impossible, for him to think that way.

"It'll be fine, Syuusuke, it'll be fine. His majesty doesn't hate you, he just doesn't understand why you're being hot and cold towards him. He's afraid, Syuusuke, and you know you have no one but yourself to blame for that."

"I know, but it hurts so much, Seiichi," Fuji wiped his tears with the back off his hands, pulling away. "I don't know what to do now."

"It'll be okay, Syuusuke," Yukimura smiled, "It'll be okay."

* * *

_Yukimura isn't from Japan!_

What did Fuji mean by that? Sanada knew that the assassins were not from Japan – that much was for certain, and Fuji himself wasn't. No one had eyes that blue, after all.

Eyes... That blue...

Oh god.

Yukimura wasn't from Japan. Eyes any shade of blue was not native to Japan, especially ones that were as bright as the two concubines. How could he have been that stupid, that naive, when he'd been studying this for the past seven years? He'd majored in international communication before he'd joined the army, and that was a huge part of the reason he'd been made Commander in the first place.

One man he did not doubt, however, was Niou. Although his General had eyes that looked as though they were not Japanese, the trickster was native bred, through and through. He knew, as well, that Yagyuu was not from Japan – the gentleman had himself, told him that – and he didn't hold it against the other.

It seemed fitting, for Yagyuu to have Japanese features while not having been born in Japan, and for Niou to have foreign features when he was native to the country. It seemed so very _them_.

Back to the point, however, Yukimura was so obviously not from Japan, now that he thought about it, without anyone to distract him, and without any anger clouding his judgement. Which meant that, technically, he hadn't betrayed his country in any way, he hadn't been disloyal, _because he wasn't from here_, in fact, Yukimura might have been loyal to his own country by kidnapping the Emperor.

Then there was that point.

Whether or not he'd been loyal to his own country, Yukimura had kidnapped _Sanada's _Emperor, Sanada's best friend since young, and that in itself was unforgivable. No matter how much Sanada loved him, no matter how much Sanada wanted to hold him in his arms and tell him that he'd been forgiven, Sanada knew he couldn't.

How could he?

He lay on his makeshift bed, staring up at the ceiling of his tent. "Seiichi," He whispered, testing out the name, liking the way it rolled off his tongue so very, very naturally. "Seiichi."

_Seiichi._

* * *

Fuji smiled up at his best friend, thanking him for the comfort. He'd been about to get some food for the both of them when they heard a loud crash in the cell, like chains being broken. Stiffening, the two ran into the cell, only to see an unconscious Emperor being lifted up onto the shoulder of a large man, and a smaller, lithe figure standing beside him. The light prevented him from seeing who they were.

"Who are you?" Fuji asked, eyes opened and blazing. "Let go off him!"

The lithe figure moved forward, almost into the light, and took out a small roll of parchment.

"By order of the High King of England, his royal majesty, Emperor of Japan, is to be freed from captivity by High Priest, and by connection, the High Wizard. Any attempts to continue harming or killing of the Emperor will be punishable by death."

"What-"

"Both the High Priest and High Wizard are to immediately return to the Palace for further investigations, and have both been stripped of their duties until further notice. Any attempts to communicate with other members under both parties will be punishable by exile. Atobe Keigo, High King of England. We will require verbal confirmation from both parties."

Fuji seethed. How dare the King do this to him? He had served him for so many years, since he was but a mere child, even, and _this _was how the Kind repayed him? By taking away his most prized possession, by taking away the man he loved?

"How did you break through my bonds?" Fuji asked. "The chains have been enchanted such that the only thing that may release the Emperor his my own brand of magic. Whoever you are, you're not powerful enough to do something like that."

And 'usu' was all the answer Fuji needed to hear. Of course, Kabaji. He'd seen him work his magic hundreds upon thousands of times, of course he would know how to exactly copy his own brand of magic.

"Order accepted," Yukimura's voice sounded in the cell. "Yukimura Seiichi, High Wizard of England."

The figure nodded, then turned, almost expectantly to Fuji. "And you?"

A deep, exasperated, angry breath later, and Fuji spoke. "Order accepted. Fuji Syuusuke, High Priest of England."

A nod, and the two turned away to open a portal back to the Palace. Fuji, however, stalled them with a question. "Wait. Who are you?"

"Usu."

"Not you, Kabaji!" Fuji almost screamed in fury, but Yukimura giggled. "I meant the other one!"

The figure slowed down, and slowly, very slowly, turned around. He took a few hesitant steps into the light, the edge of his face illuminated, until he finally bit his lip and revealed his identity, causing both magic users to stumble back in shock.

"You-"

Dark blue eyes looked at the two, childish innocence erased from his expression. "Kikumaru Eiji, acting High Priest of England."

* * *

Author's notes: I am taking Atobe's appearance by manga canon, in which he has _blond hair and blue eyes_ instead of grey hair and eyes. Eiji is the acting High Priest, as Fuji has been stripped of his duties, alongside Yukimura.

Yukimura isn't pissed off with the fact that he's been stripped of his duties because he really doesn't mind it. He doesn't have fun being the High Priest – which I _might _write about in future – and it's boring to him, so this is just like a holiday for him, which he will totally and utterly enjoy. Fuji would actually feel the same way, if only Tezuka wasn't taken away from him.

**Also, before you review – because you should O_O – please read this. I'd really like to know who you think the character 'Jou' is, and how you feel about Yagyuu's identity, so _when _you review, please tell me? 8D**

Replies to reviews:

Cheese Rice: He always lies to himself, that's Fuji for you. Even when he doesn't mean to, he does. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!

Lemon-and-chai: Because Fuji is an idiot. 8D Tezuka knows, but he doesn't really believe it with the way Fuji has been treating him. Yukimura's the most misunderstood character in this entire fic, really. I treat him so badly. ;A;

supremekikay24: Thank you! 8D Feel free to hate me all you want. xD

vegibee: Thank you! I'm always afraid that there's just so much going on in one chapter that people get turned off by it, but I'm glad you're enjoying it! It's just, I have so much to fit in, and it all _has _to be happening at the same time and... ;A; _shh necklace shh that's important spoilers but shhhh_

Guest #1: Thank you! 8D I hope I won't destroy them anymore, but I really can't tell you because _spoilers. _

CRAZEMisaki: You are. Piggeh. Food. Beedoh beedoh beedoh. You're welcome. 8D

Guest #2: /waves hi/ Cliffies are awesome, aren't they? I just feel like I end every chapter with one and people are so sick of it. Butterflies are pretty! 8D Even if I scream like a little girl when I see them. Jou, yes Jou _who do you think Jou is hmmm_

VaneUchihaWacabayashi: Uhm. owo I'm going to take that as meaning 'cute' so thank you! 8D

Starry Night: That's okay! It makes me happy that despite being busy you still take the time to review! Hm, so you think Jou is Fuji. /notes it down/ Everyone loves cliffies, don't they? 8D Don't cry!

/hands out tissues to anyone who needs them/


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